Cheers to That: Alcohol Brands Finally Get Their TikTok Moment

For years, alcohol has been the awkward guest at the TikTok party. While beauty, fashion and food thrived, drinks brands were largely locked out, unable to fully tap into the platform’s discovery engine due to strict advertising and organic posting restrictions. That’s changed. And quickly.

TikTok opening up to alcohol brands isn’t just a policy update. It’s a shift in how the category shows up in culture. Because the reality is that people were already using TikTok for alcohol inspiration. Brands just weren’t part of the conversation.

Now they are. And the ones that move first will have a serious advantage.

Alcohol brands on TikTok

Discovery on TikTok doesn’t discriminate by category and alcohol is no different.

42% of alcohol purchasers on the platform have discovered a new brand or type of drink while scrolling (hello, tomato-tini). And 41% say they actively use TikTok to research reviews or ratings for newly discovered products.

This isn’t passive consumption – it’s active consideration.

Since the doors opened in the UK late last year, brands have moved quickly. Campaigns are already delivering a 2.4x sales lift, outperforming wider food and beverage benchmarks.

TikTok has gone from an untapped channel to one of the most powerful drivers of discovery in the category almost overnight.

With performance marketing now open to alcohol brands, alongside organic posting for registered business accounts, the platform is no longer just about visibility. It’s about conversion. Add in TikTok Shop opening up for 0% products, and the gap between discovery and purchase is shrinking fast.

The takeaway? TikTok isn’t just where drinks trends start. It’s increasingly where purchase decisions are made.

From product to participation

What makes TikTok particularly powerful for alcohol brands is the context it provides.

It doesn’t just show people what to drink. It shows them when, where and why. From post-marathon pints to hosting hacks at home, festival pre-drinks to low-key date nights, TikTok maps drinking occasions in real time.

That opens the door to more culturally relevant, less product-first marketing.

We’re already seeing this play out. Our work with WKD is a good example. It’s about repositioning an iconic brand for a new generation by embedding it into the moments and humour that define TikTok culture. It’s less about pushing product, more about showing up in the right spaces with the right tone.

The no and low alcohol movement is another clear opportunity. As drinking habits shift, particularly among Gen Z, TikTok’s niche communities from run clubs to gym content to BookTok offer a natural home for these products.

The creator piece (and the current gap)

There is, however, one piece of the puzzle that hasn’t fully caught up yet. Creators.

While TikTok has opened up paid and organic opportunities for alcohol brands, creator partnerships are still more limited than other categories. The platform’s rules and wider regulations make influencer collaborations more complex, particularly when it comes to age gating, audience composition and content controls.

That doesn’t mean creators are off the table. But it does mean brands need to be more considered.

The most effective approaches right now lean towards working with creators in a more editorial or entertainment-first way, using them to shape creative rather than simply distribute it, and being selective rather than trying to scale too quickly.

This will evolve. And when it does, expect creator-led alcohol marketing to accelerate quickly. But for now, brands need to balance opportunity with caution.

The challenge (because there is one)

Alcohol may be opening up on TikTok, but it’s still one of the most regulated categories in marketing.

And the rules don’t come from one place. You are navigating a mix of industry bodies, legal frameworks and platform policies all at once.

The key isn’t memorising every line of guidance, it lies in understanding the principles:
– Target the right audience (18+, always)
– Avoid any suggestion of social, sexual or personal gain from drinking
– Keep it responsible. No excess, no rapid consumption
– Make sure everything and everyone feels appropriately adult

The brands that win won’t treat this as a restriction, but as a creative brief.

Because if your idea only works by pushing the boundaries, it probably wasn’t that strong to begin with.

TL;DR

TikTok has already shaped how people discover and choose alcohol. Brands just weren’t invited, but better late to the party than never! 

Move early, and you can turn TikTok into a genuine growth engine, embedding your brand in culture and influencing purchase decisions in real time.

Wait, and you risk watching your competitors define the next era of drinking culture without you.

Author: Katie Parr-Burman, Associate Director