Australia: VB pins hopes on mid-strength beer

One of Australia's beer giants is pivoting to a new mid-strength product as the country's drinking habits continue to shift, 9news.com.ua reported on February 27.

VB has announced the launch of a new 3.5 per cent mid-strength beer, dubbed VB Mid.

According to the brewer, more than 30 per cent of Aussie beer sales are now no-alcohol, low-alcohol, or mid-strength, a drastic change from just 20 years ago.

VB marketing manager said VB Mid was "for those times when the day is done but the job isn't".

A new jingle, voiced by actor and writer William McInnes, also focuses on the presumed need to face the new day.

"But when you've gotta get up and get at it again… VB's got a mid-strength now too," he says in the advertisement.

VB Mid will be one standard drink per 375ml can.

VB "Classic" remains 1.4 standard drinks per can, at 4.9 per cent alcohol.

Research is increasingly showing Aussies are turning their back on a tipple, particularly the younger generations.

"Our research shows that over the course of their lives, Gen Z are nearly 20 times more likely to choose not to drink alcohol compared to Baby Boomers, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors," Flinders University's Dr Gianluca Di Censo said about a study published late last year.

"This isn't just a phase; it appears to be a sustained change in behaviour that could have long-term public health benefits."

Study co-author Dr Kirrily Thompson said the old place of prominence alcohol had in Australia's social life was changing after decades.

"Younger Australians are growing up in a different world – one where abstaining from alcohol is increasingly normal, and where digital socialising, rising living costs, and health awareness are reshaping how people spend their time and money," she said.

28 February, 2026