Low and No Alcohol Licensing

Consumer demand for low and no alcohol (“NoLo”) drinks continues to grow, well beyond seasonal initiatives such as Dry January.

As a result, pubs, bars and other licensed venues are increasingly stocking these products year-round. While the legal definition of alcohol is clear, the practical steps needed to remain compliant when serving NoLo drinks are not always as straightforward.

Understanding where the legal threshold sits, and how products are labelled, is essential for avoiding inadvertent breaches of licensing law.

The legal definition of alcohol

Under UK licensing law, a young person under the age of 18 may lawfully purchase a drink containing 0.5% ABV or less. Any product above this threshold is classed as alcohol for licensing purposes, regardless of how it is marketed or described.

This applies across the board, whether the product is beer, wine, cider, spirits or an alternative designed to replicate an alcoholic drink. Once a drink exceeds 0.5% ABV, it must be treated in the same way as any other alcoholic product, including age-verification requirements.

Labelling and marketing can be misleading

In practice, difficulties often arise from product labelling. Drinks described as “low alcohol” can legally contain up to 1.2% ABV, meaning they fall within the definition of alcohol despite branding that may suggest otherwise.

Packaging may prominently feature terms such as “low alcohol”, “NoLo” or alcohol-free branding, but this does not alter the legal position. If a product exceeds 0.5% ABV, it cannot be sold to under-18s, even if it appears to be a soft-drink alternative.

For venues with multiple staff members serving a wide range of products, this creates a real risk of accidental underage sales.

Using Challenge 25 as a practical safeguard

To manage this risk, many licensed premises choose to apply Challenge 25 to all drinks presented as low or no alcohol, other than standard soft drinks. This approach provides a consistent and cautious framework for staff and reduces reliance on individual product knowledge at the point of sale.

Applying Challenge 25 across NoLo products can help avoid confusion where packaging is unclear, ensure consistency in age-verification practices, and reduce the risk of a drink exceeding 0.5% ABV being sold without appropriate checks.

Given the expanding range of NoLo products now on the market, this uniform approach is often the most practical way of maintaining compliance.

Staying compliant as the NoLo market grows

While the legal definition of alcohol remains clear, the way products are marketed does not always make compliance straightforward. As consumer choice continues to expand, licensed venues should regularly review their product ranges, staff training and age-verification policies.

A consistent and cautious approach to NoLo drinks can help operators stay on the right side of licensing law, protect their premises licence, and avoid inadvertent sales of alcohol to under-18s.