Pubs are at the heart of Britain's favourite soaps. We see characters in Coronation Street gather in The Rovers Return and similarly, storylines take place in The Woolpack in Emmerdale but some of the characters will no doubt benefit from the alcohol-free beer now being served thanks to a new partnership between HEINEKEN and ITV.

The first of its kind partnership will see alcohol-free beer, Heineken 0.0, go on draught at The Rovers Return and The Woolpack, a landmark moment in HEINEKEN’S ongoing mission to normalise Low and No beer. To the combined audience of 11 million people, the beer will sit alongside fictional beers like Newton & Ridley and Ephraim Monk for landlords Jenny Connor and Charity Dingle to pull on-screen pints for the next year.

John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama, ITV explained that "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, and this new non-alcoholic beer pump from Heineken will be a gentle reminder that there are great, modern, thirst-quenching alternatives to downing too many fictional pints of Newton and Ridley and feeling hungover the next morning.”

The move marks a huge step towards making alcohol-free beer more visible and acceptable in the UK. Where soaps are embedded into British culture having a large captive audience and influence, the deal is expected to help break down stigmas and encourage people to explore the category as drinking habits change. 

“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.” explained James Crampton, corporate affairs director for HEINEKEN UK 

The move follows on from the launch of Heineken 0.0 Draught in a cohort of British pubs last year, and the national roll-out of the beer into hundreds of pubs throughout 2022. It 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 as the brand helps enable consumers to practise healthy drinking habits.

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 29^th of April.