While regional/local ciders, which account for 54% of the total hard cider sales, experienced positive growth (a 5.7% increase), national cider brands decreased in growth by goodbye letter to addiction 8.9%. Alcohol money could be used for other luxuries, which would likely deliver more lasting enjoyment. Instead of resigning themselves to more and more spending on drinking, consumers are free to invest in better sources of relief than booze.

Alcohol consumption

For the wine industry, premiumization growth in wine occurs “particularly in the space between $15 and $24.99, which is the only segment of the wine market that is growing.” For wine, a greater percentage of those who were female (44%), college graduates (39%), and those with an annual household income of $100,000 or more (35%) selected the beverage compared to their counterparts. Census Bureau’s monthly retail sales survey, December sales at such retailers were 37% above the average for the other 11 months of the year. Conversely, January and February are typically the slowest months for those sellers. Per-capita alcohol consumption peaked in the early 1980s at 3.28 gallons, or almost 700 drinks.

While, in general, the alcoholic beverage industry is energy-intensive, requiring significant amounts of inputs, specific segments and manufacturers are focusing on becoming more sustainable. With each new year comes a new set of alcohol beverage consumption statistics, trends, and predictions. As in years past, this article summarizes data from several sources to help readers understand what is happening in the alcoholic beverage space.

Drinking Demographics In Dollars

Americans spend over $37 billion annually on beer, in part because of pricey craft brewery offerings. Similarly, hard liquor suppliers have enjoyed record sales in recent years, driven by consumer interest in high-end spirits. Even wineries are raking in more revenue than ever, despite uncertain enthusiasm among younger generations. According to IWSR, Millennials account for 43% of those who consume these products. Since 2003, mezcal and tequila “volumes have grown 273 percent – an average rate of 7.2 percent per year.”  Another source indicates that mezcal volume and value will increase at an 18% compound annual growth how to store urine for a future drug test rate between 2022 and 2026, while tequila will experience an 8% increase in volume and 11% in value during the same period.

Prevalence of Past-Month Binge Drinking

Assuming that this sober cohort spends no money on alcohol, those who do drink likely spend considerably more than $484 annually on average. While 2020 saw unprecedented upheaval in Americans’ lives, it did not slow their taste for alcohol. In fact, the year posted the largest volume gain in the US in nearly twenty years. According to the findings in the recently released IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, total beverage alcohol volume in the US was up +2.0%, the most significant increase since 2002.

For instance, I started dating my boyfriend almost a year ago, and much of the time we spent together was over drinks. Now that a lot of our time consists of nights spent in one of our respective apartments, we both consume less alcohol (which sometimes takes a concerted effort on both of our parts — we are both somewhat social enablers who love beer) and more television, and spend less money. The average cost of alcohol per year is a particularly interesting to me, because it’s obviously not a “necessary” spending category, but at this point in my life, I know so few people who have cut it out of their lives. N.C. Solutions reported in January 2024 that, on average, consumers were “having three drinks per week, down from four per week in 2023.”  Gallup also reported that alcoholic beverage drinkers consumed “on average…four drinks in the past week,” in July 2023. Several industry sources mention consumer willingness to spend more on alcohol and are trading up and purchasing premium beverages.

Decanter’s January 2022 “Top wine Trends for 2022” listed the average consumer’s “inability…to afford” wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. Instead, there has been a shift to lesser-known regions, including Santa Barbara, California, the Canary Islands and Gredos in Spain, Corsica, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Overall, the theme is that consumers will start looking for new wines, new wine regions, and swapping Champagne with Cava and other sparkling wines.

NielsenIQ reported that growth was driven by super-premium (75cl bottle priced between $15.99 and $29.99) and ultra-premium (between $30 and $49.99) price tiers. Regarding differences based on demographics, Gallup provided insight into what beverage U.S. adults aged 18 and older drank “most often” in 2021. Brad Nichols, Flavorman’s director of Business Development, indicated that “coffee will also continue to expand flavorings and follow-suit of its symbiotic pollinating friends, via botanical and herbal roots.”

1. From another report, compared to the first half of 2021, the volume of premium-and-above Prosecco grew 8% in the first half of 2022.
2. While vodka is still the top seller, it is projected to be overtaken by whisky by 2022.
3. The National Restaurant Association suggests that “uniquely spiced cocktail rims (Tajin, togarashi, etc.)” will be trending in 2022.
4. That is due to whiskey growth outpacing vodka on the back of growth of +4.9%.
5. Other common answers include that they do not like drinking (16%); it is unhealthy (14%); they are afraid of the consequences (13%); and they had a bad past experience with alcohol (13%).

Prevalence of Lifetime Drinking

More recently, for the 52 weeks ending September 2023, flavored whiskey sales grew by 1.9%. One factor contributing to an increased interest in flavored whiskeys has to do with, “in general” they are “going to skew a bit younger,” with some brands noticing an increase in consumers from aged 21 to their mid-30s being “drawn” to the product compared to more mature consumers. Overall, 62% of U.S. adults say they ever drink alcohol, stopping duloxetine cold turkey while 38% abstain completely, according to a July 2023 Gallup survey. Gallup has asked Americans for more than eight decades whether they have “had occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer.” During that span, majorities have consistently said they consume alcohol.

The beer category (excluding hard seltzers and flavored alcohol beverages) is “expected to decrease by volume through 2025;” however, craft beer volumes are “expected to increase.” In fact, according to one source quoted in the article, rose, white, and sparkling wines are outpacing red wines. BevAlc Insights also suggests that “sparkling rose wines will experience above average growth in 2022.” While these wines only account for a small share, 2.5% of the wine category, compared to 2020, sparkling rose “was up nearly 50 percent year-over-year in 2021.” According to Gallup, based on data collected July 3-27, 2023, 62% of U.S. consumers aged 18 and older had “occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer.”  Since 2018, excluding data for 2020 (which Gallup did not record because of the coronavirus pandemic), this percentage has ranged from 60% in 2021 to 67% in 2022. Between 1996 and 2016, the average amount Americans spent on alcohol annually rose by $175. But how much of increased spending is attributable to rising alcohol prices, and how much results from Americans simply drinking more?

Keep in mind almost all of these people live in urban areas, so it’s still not a completely accurate snapshot (though really, what is?), but I think their answers provide some interesting insight into how we approach this particular area of spending. For cocktails made with tequila, 39% of the 3,110 alcohol consumers aged 21 and older prefer sweet, and 23% prefer spicy concoctions. NielsenIQ indicated that Wine RTD innovation will include “wine cocktail RTDs, especially sparkling versions.” Spirits seltzers and cocktails are “driving growth,” especially those with an ABV of 5% and under and an ABV between 5.1 and 10%. Vodka was the most popular base for spirits RTDs, followed by whiskey and tequila, then rum and gin. Based on the 52 weeks ending November 5, 2022, off-premise hard cider sales decreased by 2.1%.

In 2023, vodka accounted for 27% of total spirits volume, and flavored vodkas accounted for 21% of all vodkas sold. One source indicates that flavored vodkas “are trending” due to the variety of flavors available (e.g., traditional fruit flavors to bacon, jalapeño, and wasabi flavors), and “high-quality” vodkas use “natural ingredients,” with premium brands using “only the finest fruits, herbs, and spices to create their signature profiles.” What “better-for-you” related claims should industry members be aware of that are important to consumers? NielsenIQ reports that the “claim to watch” for beer/flavored malt beverages/cider is “carb-free,” for wine it is “calorie conscious,” and “no added sugar” for spirits.

While trends generally indicate an increased interest and purchasing of premium-priced alcoholic beverages, there is evidence that younger consumers are particularly interested in trading up. Statista reported the expected average revenue per capita for beverages in 2023 and 2025, with an anticipated $429 being spent on beer, $315 on spirits, and $231 on wine in 2025. The lockdowns and closures helped ensure that the beer market continued its annual volume decline finishing the year down -2.8%.

The leading driver of the upward trajectory was the sprits category which logged its biggest volume increase since 1990, finishing the year up a white-hot +4.6%. While vodka is still the top seller, it is projected to be overtaken by whisky by 2022. That is due to whiskey growth outpacing vodka on the back of growth of +4.9%. Single malt Scotch was down -6.1% down due to tariffs, and Irish whiskey was impacted by on-premise closures finishing down -0.5%.

Online sales of LNA beverages increased by 315% between October 2020 and 2021, while “alcoholic options” only increased by 26%. Since 2020, the percentage of U.S. adults aged 21 and older who participated in Dry January has increased, with expectations that participation will grow. In December 2023, it was anticipated that 27% of adults aged 21 and older who drank alcohol would be “very likely” to participate in Dry January 2024, and an additional 18% were “somewhat likely” to do so.  Of those intending to do so, 46% “rarely drink,” and 41% “drink between one to five alcoholic beverages weekly.” According to SevenFiftyDaily’s State of Whiskey report, 39% of whiskey drinkers are “between the ages of 21 and 35, and only 17 percent [are] over the age of 55.”  While unflavored whiskeys grew by 3% between 2017 and 2022, flavored whiskeys increased by 11% during that period.