Heineken and ITV join forces to put alcohol-free beer front and centre in two of Britain's most famous TV pubs

• Heineken 0.0 Draught to go on tap at Coronation Street’s Rovers Return and Emmerdale’s Woolpack
• Ground-breaking deal will turbo-charge the normalisation of alcohol-free beer in Britain, with 11 million viewers tuning in every day
• Leading health expert Dr Zoe Williams says it will have a huge impact on mindful drinking 

The nation’s favourite1 alcohol-free beer Heineken 0.0 is to go on draught at Emmerdale’s Woolpack and in Coronation Street’s Rovers Return. 

From Friday 29th April real Heineken 0.0 Draught taps will be on the bars in two of Britain’s most cherished TV pubs, The Rovers Return (Coronation Street) and The Woolpack (Emmerdale). They will sit alongside fictional beers like Newton & Ridley and Ephraim Monk for much-loved landlords Jenny Connor and Charity Dingle to pull on-screen pints for the next year.

It is a seismic moment in HEINEKEN’s on-going mission to normalise alcohol-free beer and a huge leap towards making alcohol-free beer more visible and acceptable in the UK. With a combined viewership of 11 million and massive influence over popular culture, the deal is expected to help break down stigmas and encourage people to explore the category as drinking habits continue to change.

The move follows on from the launch of Heineken 0.0 Draught in a cohort of British pubs last year, dovetailing the national roll-out of the beer into hundreds of pubs throughout 2022. The deal is also in alignment with HEINEKEN’s ‘Always a Choice’ promise and its ambition to have as many Heineken 0.0 Draught taps as there are Heineken Original taps in British pubs and bars by 2025. 

James Crampton, Corporate Affairs Director for HEINEKEN UK, said: “In light of people’s evolving lifestyles and changes to their relationships with alcohol, we’ve done a lot to raise the profile of Low and No beer in recent years - this is the next phase. We are totally committed to bringing Low and No beer from the periphery into the mainstream. 

“Coronation Street and Emmerdale are British institutions and both shows have huge influence and cultural currency. From April 29th people are going to tune in to Coronation Street and Emmerdale and see 0.0 taps on screen. 

“They’re going to see landlords they love pull pints of alcohol free beer, and see their favourite soap characters drink it. We’re very confident that this partnership is going to have a massive impact in terms of helping to normalise alcohol free beer.”   

John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama, ITV said: "We're really pleased to be able to put a non-alcoholic beer pump on the bar of our iconic soap pubs, The Rovers and The Woolpack. We all know that we need to be more aware of how much we drink.

“This new non-alcoholic beer pump from Heineken will be a gentle reminder that there are great, modern, thirst-quenching alternatives to having one too many pints of Newton and Ridley.”  

Dr Zoe Williams, NHS GP and Media Medic, said: “This partnership has the opportunity to make huge changes in public perception of alcohol free beer. The great British pub plays a key role in many of our lives, including the residents of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, so being able to head down to the local and have a pint of alcohol-free beer with friends and family means more people can be included and enjoy time together whilst drinking mindfully.”

Fans will be able to tune in to see ITV’s newest soap star, Heineken 0.0 Draught, at The Rovers Return and The Woolpack from the 29th of April.

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Notes to editors:

1 Heineken 0.0 is the market leader in the UK with 24.6% total market share. Over the last year we have sold 9.3M pints of alcohol-free beer contributing over 26% of category growth. (Total market value and volume MAT 26.03.2022 Nielsen and CGA)
 
About HEINEKEN in the UK

Headquartered in Edinburgh, HEINEKEN is the UK’s leading pub, cider and beer business. The company owns around 2,500 pubs as part of its Star Pubs & Bars business and employs around 2,300 people. We are passionate about our cider and beer brands which include Foster's, Heineken®, Strongbow, Desperados, Kronenbourg1664, John Smith's, Bulmers, Amstel, Red Stripe, Birra Moretti and Old Mout backed by a full range of niche and speciality brands. HEINEKEN’s alcohol-free portfolio in the UK includes Heineken ® 0.0, Birra Moretti Zero, and Old Mout Cider Alcohol-Free.

For more information video please contact: heineken@thisiscow.com

About ITV

Coronation Street

First broadcast in 1960, Coronation Street is the longest-running soap in the world and the most-watched soap in Britain. Product placement (PP) was introduced on television in the UK in 2011 and ITV led the way with the very first PP on British screens. In the same year, the first peak time product placement was introduced in Coronation Street and in 2018 ITV unveiled its biggest Product Placement on British TV with Costa Coffee and Co-op storefronts as part of the new extended Weatherfield set.

Emmerdale

First broadcast in 1972 Emmerdale celebrates its 50th Birthday this October.  Originally a twice-weekly daytime soap, the show built on solid roots established by creator Kevin Laffan, and quickly gained affection in the nation’s hearts whilst seizing its rightful place as one of Britain’s longest-running, highest-rated and best-loved continuing dramas.