7 hours ago
7
Name: The daycap.
Age: As old as fermentation, and impatience.
Appearance: Nothing new, under the sun.
It’s not a hat, then. No, it’s a drink you have before your evening starts – a daycap, as opposed to a nightcap.
So you’re taking that ill-advised, final tipple before bedtime, and moving it several hours earlier? Yes, it’s a whole new way of drinking!
I know the strategy only too well. It begins with a 6pm sharpener, and it ends in a magistrates court. This isn’t day drinking in the traditional sense; this is about making different drinking choices.
Exactly – I choose to start early, to fit another one in. Wrong: daycapping is about replacing late-night excess with afternoon indulgence.
It amounts to the same thing. No it doesn’t. According to the Bacardi 2026 Cocktail Trends report, the rise of the daycap “marks a shift toward micro-celebrations that fit modern routines”.
I don’t know what that means. It means that modern consumers are reshaping their socialising around earlier evenings of shorter duration.
So the idea is, you start drinking early in the day, consume less alcohol overall, and go to bed on time? Yes. What’s your objection?
I’m not objecting. I’m just saying: good luck with that. And the new daycap has little in common with the stiff gin of the old-fashioned sharpener. Instead, it revolves around “spritz culture, mood-based cocktails, and small serves that tap into the sweet treat economy”.
Is there any evidence that this predicted trend is actually happening? In keeping with the ethos of daycapping, meal times are also getting pushed forward. The online booking service OpenTable reports a sharp rise in 6pm restaurant reservations.
Are you kidding? No – they’re up 6% nationally, and 11% in London. Apparently the new national average dining time is 6.12pm.
Isn’t that just boomers trying to spend their disposable income before their medication kicks in? Apparently it’s driven by younger diners prioritising health, wellbeing and sleep.
Classic gen Z – they really don’t know fun from a hole in the ground. God bless them, they’re trying.
How will the shift affect a night-time economy entirely based on impaired decision-making? By replacing committed boozing with “loud luxury”. Bacardi predicts metallic garnishes, fire presentations and “high-drama glassware”.
In other words, a whole new era of expensive, questionable drinks. And all while it’s still light out.
Do say: “Drinking is no longer about escape; it’s about finding new rhythms and routines of enjoyment.”
Don’t say: “What a great evening! I don’t remember anything that happened after 7.30pm!”
