Gen Z Eschews the Bar Culture in Boston

In a city where Boston's neighborhoods were known by their ZIP codes and their bars, the drinking culture of the community is changing. 

In its May 2025 issue, Boston magazine examined the shifts in the city's bar culture in a feature article "Does Boston Still Drink?" Writer Rachel Slade summed up the phenomenon: "Gen Z simply isn't into booze culture."

Slade notes that compared to Gen X and millennials, who are loyal fans of craft beers, cocktails, and wines, Gen Z is demonstrating that they're not as attracted to the drinking culture as previous generations. That shift is making many bar and restaurant owners nervous.

“I just think the drinking consumer has chosen to partake quite a bit less,” said Broadway Hospitality Group beverage director Jeff Boyer.

Slade cited many consumer habits of Gen Z that are contributing to their lack of interest in alcohol, including the 2016 legalization of marijuana, disrupted social development during the COVID-19 pandemic, and health factors.

“Boyer confirms that most young adults are only going out once a week and entertaining at home more, or traveling, or 'doing something else entirely' — perhaps, some bar owners say, dropping disposable income on sports-betting apps,” Slade suggested.

Hecate beverage director Lou Charbonneau believes social media is one medium that sets Gen Z drinkers apart from other generations. The barrage of information coming at them from multiple sources leads to a different type of intentionality. “People come to places like Hecate seeking a specific experience — a setting that can be strategically documented and shared in their social media feed,” Slade said.

“More and more, young adults today aren't drowning their sorrows, blacking out, or stumbling into strangers' beds — because they can't afford to,” Slade concluded. “In an increasingly unstable world, they want to stay sharp, prepared, and alert.”