• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Institute of Alcohol Studies HomepageInstitute of Alcohol Studies

Bringing together evidence, policy and practice to reduce alcohol harm

  • Home
  • About us
    • People
    • Our strategy
    • Small Grants Scheme
    • Networks
    • Vacancies
    • Contact us
  • Publications
  • Explore by Topic
    • Alcohol across society
    • Availability
    • Consumption
    • Economy
    • Health
    • Marketing
    • Price
    • The alcohol industry
    • Transport
    • Violence and crime
    • Help and support
  • News & Comment
    • Latest news and events
    • Blog
    • Alcohol Alert
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • See all
  • Search

The alcohol industry

On this page

  • Facts and stats
  • Briefings
  • Reports
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

The alcohol industry can be defined in various ways, with no agreed settled definition. The term is most commonly used to refer to corporations engaged in the production of alcoholic beverages. However, broader definitions also exist. The World Health Organization, for example, refers to ‘manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, wholesale distributors, major retailers and importers that deal solely and exclusively in alcohol beverages, or whose primary income comes from trade in alcohol beverages’, a definition that has been adopted by Public Health England (PHE).

PHE’s definition also includes entities that are dependent on funding and support from the industry, such as business associations or other non-state actors representing or funded largely by any of the previously outlined entities, as well as: industry lobbyists; coalitions; corporate philanthropic foundations; charities; and social aspect (public relations) organisations (SAPROs).

The alcohol industry exerts significant influence, not only in its commercial activities but also over social and political perceptions and responses to alcohol. It does so through a variety of activities, including: the development of alliances, with trade associations and SAPROs, and with non-industry allies such as think tanks; and corporate social responsibility programmes.

The Institute of Alcohol Studies has estimated that the production and sale of alcohol was worth £46 billion to the UK economy in 2014, accounting for 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product and 3.7% of all consumer spending. The vast majority of the economic value of alcohol production in the UK comes from two different activities: brewing beer for the domestic market (largely to be sold in the on-trade) and distilling spirits for export (predominantly Scotch whisky).

As well as making and selling alcohol, researchers have identified five different ways in which industry actors seek to influence regulation:

  1. Constituency building
  2. Policy substitution
  3. Information and messaging
  4. Financial incentives
  5. Trade and litigation

This page contains detailed information on how the alcohol industry operates.

Facts and stats

  • The World Health Organization defines the alcohol industry as: “Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, wholesale distributors, major retailers and importers that deal solely and exclusively in alcoholic beverages or whose primary income comes from trade in alcohol beverages, as well as business associations or other non-State actors representing any of the afore-mentioned entities. Other non-State actors who are engaged in the sale of alcohol, receive funding from the alcohol industry (including funding for research) or have intrinsic links to the above-mentioned entities should be reviewed on a case by case basis in order to determine whether they should also be viewed as ‘alcohol industry’.” (WHO)
  • The industry’s value chain is supported by a number of collective bodies, which give producers a voice in the public sphere.
  • This includes trade associations (e.g. The Scotch Whisky Association) and ‘social aspects and public relations organisations’ (SAPROs, e.g. Drinkaware)

What is the alcohol industry? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

How is the alcohol industry split? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

How many people does the alcohol industry employ? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

  • This is for off-trade sales only, which makes up the majority of alcohol sold in the UK.

Who are the top-selling alcohol brands in the UK? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

How have the top brands’ sales values changed? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

  • In 2022, there were 158,000 licensed on-trade premises, including pubs and bars. The largest UK pub operators are:

Who are the leading alcohol retailers in the UK (on-trade)? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

  • 73% of alcohol consumed in the UK is purchased from off-trade premises (BBPA 2023, Table B11).
  • Major grocery retailers represent two-thirds of off-trade sales. 
  • Specialist alcohol retailers and corner shops represent 25%.
  • Convenience stores represent a tenth.

Who are the leading alcohol retailers in the UK (off-trade)? by The Institute of Alcohol Studies

  • Industry actors seek to influence policy by framing arguments around alcohol in a way that places responsibility on a minority of ‘problematic’ individual consumers, and thus away from alcohol itself, the industry’s practices and population-level policy measures. (McCambridge, 2018)
  • The alcohol industry’s actions to influence policy and regulation are similar to that of the tobacco industry’s actions. (Bond, L. et al., 2010; Savell, E. et al., 2016; McCambridge, J. and Morris, S., 2019)
  • Researchers have identified 5 key ways in which the industry attempts to influence regulations (Savell, E. 2016)
    • Constituency building: 
      • Forming industry groups and associations to assist coordination and collaboration
      • Forming alliances with sympathetic non-trade bodies e.g. think tanks
    • Policy substation: 
      • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, apparently promoting the social good independently of the government
      • Developing self-regulation as an alternative to government restrictions
    • Information and messaging: 
      • Developing evidence: Funding and shaping original research
      • Disseminating evidence: collating and interpreting existing evidence, for the public and policymakers
      • Lobbying: making direct proposals and representations to policymakers
    • Economic incentives: 
      • Using economic incentives to influence policymakers, particularly employment opportunities and connections
    • Trade litigation: 
      • Shaping trade policy to secure favourable terms and access to new markets
      • Using legal challenges to undermine unfavourable policies and regulation (typically on the basis of trade law)

Briefings

The alcohol industry: Social and political activities

The alcohol industry: an overview

Alcohol energy (calorie) labelling: Evidence, public support, alternatives, and wider labelling considerations

November 2021

Reports

Spin the bottle: How the UK alcohol industry twists the facts on harm and responsibility

June 2025

The Price is Right: Minimum unit pricing for alcohol and the case for a windfall tax

May 2025

Good governance in public health policy: Managing interactions with alcohol industry stakeholders

August 2024

IAS response to consultation on Review of the RSHE statutory guidance

July 2024

People, Planet, or Profit: alcohol’s impact on a sustainable future

November 2022

Corporate Political Activity of the Alcohol and Gambling Industries

September 2022

IAS response to consultation on alcohol alternatives

May 2022

The Marketing and Consumption of No and Low Alcohol Drinks in the UK

March 2022

Nudge theory and alcohol policy – how nudge frames drinkers and industry

Nudge theory and alcohol policy: how nudge frames drinkers and industry

December 2020

IAS response to UK Internal Market White Paper

August 2020

Brexit battlegrounds: Where are public health and the alcohol industry likely to clash in the years ahead?

May 2018

Pubs quizzed: What publicans think about policy, public health and the changing trade

September 2017

IAS response to Public Consultation on a proposal for a mandatory Transparency Register

May 2016

Blogs

12286Zero-alcohol drinks make teens think of alcohol – so why are we treating them like soft drinks?

Zero-alcohol drinks make teens think of alcohol – so why are we treating them like soft drinks?

Dr Ashlea Bartram

29th April 2025

12274France’s drinking dilemma: Why young adults buck the global trend

France’s drinking dilemma: Why young adults buck the global trend

Dr Julia de Ternay

16th April 2025

12121Rainbow-washing or genuine allyship? How alcohol companies target the LGBTQ+ community

Rainbow-washing or genuine allyship? How alcohol companies target the LGBTQ+ community

Dr Sandra Souto Pereira and Professor Antonia Lyons

10th March 2025

12096‘Dark Apps’ uncovered: popular alcohol tracking apps backed by the alcohol industry mislead users

‘Dark Apps’ uncovered: popular alcohol tracking apps backed by the alcohol industry mislead users

Dr Elliott Roy-Highley and Professor Mark Petticrew

25th February 2025

12013Alcohol’s contribution to climate change

Alcohol’s contribution to climate change

Dr Megan Cook and Professor Sarah MacLean

14th January 2025

11812Following the science on public health partnerships: the alcohol industry is no ordinary stakeholder

Following the science on public health partnerships: the alcohol industry is no ordinary stakeholder

Dr Nason Maani, Professor Mark Petticrew, and Dr May van Schalkwyk

29th October 2024

11766Alcohol trade groups mislead Prime Minister on duty ‘increase’, putting revenue – and lives – at risk

Alcohol trade groups mislead Prime Minister on duty ‘increase’, putting revenue – and lives – at risk

Jem Roberts

9th October 2024

11748Alcohol’s hidden calories: a missed opportunity in obesity policy

Alcohol’s hidden calories: a missed opportunity in obesity policy

Callum Young and Dr Benjamin Hawkins

2nd October 2024

Podcasts

Alcohol’s hidden climate impact

In our latest podcast, Dr Megan Cook of La Trobe University discusses alcohol’s overlooked environmental impact. Dr Cook explores how […]

Dr Megan Cook – La Trobe University

April 2025

The history of temperance and IAS

In this month’s podcast we spoke to Dr James Kneale, Associate Professor in Geography at University College London, about the […]

Dr James Kneale – University College London

September 2024

Killer Tactics: How tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food and drink industries hold back public health progress

In this month’s podcast we spoke to Alfie Slade, Government Affairs Lead at the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), about a […]

Alfie Slade – Obesity Health Alliance

August 2024

How Public Health England corresponded with The Portman Group and Drinkaware during the Drink Free Days campaign

In this month’s podcast we spoke to Dr Katherine Severi about the rise in alcohol deaths, and Dr Nason Maani, […]

Dr Nason Maani – University of Edinburgh

April 2024

Videos

Big Alcohol: Explained

September 2023

Corporate Political Activity of the Alcohol and Gambling Industries – launch webinar

September 2022

Alcohol & Human Rights

March 2022

Alcohol industry sustainability commitments

January 2022

TOPIC
  • Alcohol across society
  • Availability
  • Consumption
  • Economy
  • Health
  • Marketing
  • Price
  • The alcohol industry
  • Transport
  • Violence and crime

Footer

IAS is proud to be a member of

  • Twitter
  • Bluesky
  • Spotify
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Contact us

©2025 Institute of Alcohol Studies

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok