Sales of weak have soared as health conscious Brits hold off the booze. Demand for mid-strength wine - typically between 5% to 9% alcohol - have nearly doubled in the past year, according to retail analysts Nielsen. That compares to an ABV of 11% to 14% for a typical wine, which can sometimes be higher still.

Supermarket giant launched five mid-strength wines last year on the back of two record-breaking years for no and low alcohol across the board, including beer. Bosses report demand has grown on a monthly basis since, and it is now considering widening the range.

Tesco wine buyer Steve Garwood said: “Mid-strength wine as a category only really started less than two years ago in the UK so these are still very early days but all the signs are that it’s set to become the next big trend in alcohol moderation.

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"Health and well being have become far more pronounced in the food and drink industry in the last five years and we are definitely seeing that with the continuous strong demand for no and low alcohol, especially within wine. Moderation does not have to mean total abstinence but with the arrival of mid-strength wines it offers drinkers more control over their alcohol intake.”

A new retail report called The Mid Strength Opportunity found 50% of people would rather have two mid-strength drinks than one strong one if they were nipping to the pub. And 13% are already “coasting”, or drinking mid-strength drinks for the whole of a night out.

Julian Dyer, chief operating officer for McGuigan Wines UK & Europe, said: “Consumers are increasingly seeking lighter drinking experiences for reasons of health, responsibility, or personal control.

"But they don’t want to compromise on taste, and they want a drink that still makes a social or home occasion special. Mid-strength wine addresses that consumer need without compromising on taste or quality.”

, with the UK now the eighth largest market for 0.0 brews. Sales of drinks with less than 3.5% alcohol doubled last year, making the UK the fastest-growing market for low-alcohol drinks.

The equivalent of 229 million pints of low or alcohol free brews were sold, data provider IWSR said last year. It comes as a YouGov poll found 39% of 18 to 24-year olds do not drink alcohol at all.

Brewers have tapped into the trend by investing in low alcohol beers, with Guinness reporting it cannot make its 0.0 stout fast enough. The UK is the eighth largest global market for such beers, up from 13th in 2022, IWSR told the Financial Times.

The British Beer and Pub Association said 87% of pubs now serve no or low-alcohol beer.

Teetotal actor has got in on the act by launching his own non-alcoholic beer. The 28-year-old Spider- Man: Homecoming star quit booze in 2022 and admits he often felt self conscious when ordering an alcohol-free beverage.