We thought Gen Z weren't drinking. But these cocktails in a ball may suggest otherwise

We thought Gen Z weren't drinking. But these cocktails in a ball may suggest otherwise6 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGrace DeanBBCBuzzBall drinks are popular with a young crowd - including Caitlin and KatyIn one viral TikTok, a grandmother is seen sprawled out on a carpet, drunk, next to a Christmas tree. The video cuts between her necking an alcoholic drink and gazing up at the camera from the floor, happy but bemused.But this TikToker's grandmother hasn't had one too many sherries. She's been drinking a popular sugary corner shop drink that people in their teens and 20s have been getting their older relatives to try as a joke."POV you thought Christmas Day was a good time to introduce BuzzBallz to your grandma", the caption reads.TikTok is awash with videos like this and if you go to any student flat party, chances are you'll see a stash of the brand's iconic ball-shaped plastic containers in vibrant shades of red, green and blue.Though these are perhaps the most easily recognisable drink of their kind (thanks to their viral fame and distinctive shape), pre-mixed cocktails and spirit-and-mixer cans more generally have become increasingly popular in recent years.The quantity of pre-mixed bottled and canned cocktails sold by UK retailers rose 30% in the year to March 2026 compared to the same period the previous year, according to data from research company, Circana.And in a survey last year by alcohol analysts IWSR, 43% of UK Gen Z respondents said they'd drunk a pre-mixed can in the previous six months, compared to just 26% of the UK population overall.Gen Z are often spoken about as the sober, shut-in generation. But is the reality less straightforward?On a sunny Wednesday evening in central London, Keilly Linares, 26, and Chyna Buena, 27, are enjoying post-work drinks in a park. When I tell them I'm researching BuzzBallz, Keilly laughs and whips a red one out of her bag.She says they're not...