Most of these drinks fall into the ‘no’ camp of 0.5% abv or less. Drinkers who want the buzz of a ‘real’ drink without getting plastered have scant choice. That may soon change.

Marks & Spencer believes mid-strength beer “is a trend that’s here to stay. Consumers are increasingly mindful of their alcohol intake but don’t want to sacrifice on flavour, experience or enjoyment,” said Rob Grimes, M&S beer buyer, last May. He was announcing the rollout across 450 stores of Small Beer’s 2.1% abv Lager and 2.6% abv Hazy