How much coffee do UK adults really drink?

Overall 86 per cent of adults polled are self-confessed coffee lovers

An average of 26 coffee-flavoured drinks are consumed during an average week (Getty Images)

Caffeine-loving Britons get through 1,352 of their ‘must have’ drinks a year - including 156 Americanos, 104 espresso martinis and 312 instant coffees.

A poll of 2,000 adults found 86 per cent are self-confessed coffee lovers, with 71 per cent craving the smell and 58 per cent enjoying the flavour.

As a result, an average of 26 coffee-flavoured drinks are consumed during a typical week, including two iced coffees and two lattes.

Over the average adult lifetime, this adds up to 85,176 coffees, although a few admitted to drinking even more than usual during the lockdowns.  

The poll was commissioned by coffee liqueur brand Kahlúa to mark the launch their new bottle design celebrating its coffee credentials.

It also found that three in five couldn’t go a whole day without their caffeine fix.

But more than one in eight like to get creative with their coffee, with more than half enjoying alcohol with the drink.

Others have experimented with adding cinnamon, honey and melted chocolate to the drink.

When it comes to coffee and cocktails, 39 per cent enjoy an Espresso Martini as it gives them the ‘best of both worlds’, with an average of eight having been made per person at home during the past year.

Award-winning barista and Kahlúa ambassador, Will Pitts, said: “I love seeing how people get creative with coffee and find new ways to incorporate it into their daily lives.

“I love experimenting with coffee cocktails, using whatever I have in the cupboards and having some fun with Kahlúa to make Espresso Martinis, Flat White Russians or Coffee Margaritas.

But the secret to an amazing coffee cocktail comes down to using good-quality ingredients – like the 100 per cent Arabica beans that Kahlúa use in their coffee liqueur.”

The study also found more than a quarter of adults can’t wait to be able to soak up the atmosphere of a coffee shop once restrictions are lifted.

Some also hope to see cocktails on offer in coffee shops one day and a few are keen to upgrade their usual caffeinated drink to make it more of an occasion.

As part of Kahlúa’s coffee credentials, it has pledged to support baristas and coffee shops as they begin to open their doors once again, by offering training and licensing support to get coffee cocktails added to the coffee shop menu for when lockdown lifts.

SWNS