Diageo GB Launches Fancy That! to Help Consumers Better Understand Alcohol Units

LONDON, 30 OCTOBER 2025 – Diageo GB has this week launched its educational campaign, Fancy That!, which will drive consumer understanding of alcohol units in popular drinks whilst highlighting the positive role that spirits can play for people planning to moderate.

There is a low consumer understanding of the difference between ABV (Alcohol By Volume) and units, with the perceived ‘strength’ of a drink often taken from the absolute ABV of a liquid, rather than when a spirit is paired with a mixer. Fancy That! looks to address this misconception by educating people that many mixed drinks with a single (25ml) spirit serve, such as a gin & tonic or a whisky & lemonade, often contain half the alcohol than choices such as a pint of lager or a medium glass of wine.

For example, Fancy That! highlights that;

• A single serve of 25ml 37.5% ABV rum and cola is equivalent to one unit, compared to 2.3 units in a pint of 4% ABV lager. 
• A single serve of 25ml 37.5% ABV gin and tonic is equivalent to one unit, compared to 2.3 units in a 175ml glass of 13% ABV wine.
• A standard Tommy’s Margarita with 50ml of 37.5% ABV tequila is equivalent to two units, compared to 2.3 units in a 175ml glass of 13% ABV wine.

The campaign has been delivered through DRINKiQ, Diageo’s global responsible drinking platform, which through its online platform provides a variety of facts about alcohol. This includes that one unit of alcohol equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, and that alcohol’s effect on your body is determined by how many units of alcohol are in your drink, not the ABV of your drink of choice.

By improving understanding of alcohol units, Fancy That! aims to give people greater confidence and choice when they are choosing to moderate, whether that is enjoying a pint of lager, a glass of wine, or their favourite spirit serve.

Ian Smith, Corporate Relations Director for Diageo GB, and Chair of the UK Spirits Alliance, commented: “With so many myths about the real strength of popular drinks, trying to manage your alcohol intake can become confusing. At the heart is an outdated and misguided idea that distilled spirits are somehow less appropriate for moderation compared to beer or wine.

The fact is, spirits can play a powerful role in the growing trend towards moderation, with their versatility and mixability making them perfectly placed to be drinks of moderation. This campaign will challenge these misconceptions, and hopefully, with greater knowledge about alcohol units, moderation can become less about restriction and more about enjoying what you fancy, responsibly.

The campaign will appear across Stonegate pubs from 27th October to the end of November through a variety of digital touchpoints. From 3rd to 30th November, the campaign will also be appearing on Stonegate’s MiXR App, where users can test their knowledge of alcohol units for a chance to win two tickets to Co-Op Live, the UK’s largest entertainment arena based in Manchester¹.

For more information on the facts about alcohol, visit DRINKiQ: https://www.drinkiq.com/en-gb

¹Two winners will receive 2x tickets to a show at Co-op Live, selected by the winner - subject to availability. Full T&Cs available

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