The latest bw166 Total Beverage Alcohol Overview shows that servings are up +0.9% for the 12 months through September 2019 – an unsurprising trend as LDA per capita consumption has been effectively flat over the last 25 years. While some recent qualitative surveys have highlighted consumers drinking less, the quantitative data does not show the same abrupt disruption.
Volumetrically, Beer stands at 47% of total servings, Spirits at 35%, and Wine at 18%. Total consumer spending on Beverage Alcohol is up +2.9% to $264.5 Billion – with Beer comprises 47%, Spirits at 25%, and Wine at 28% – highlighting the average premium per serving in the Wine category.
The key differentiator of the bw166 Total Beverage Alcohol Overview is that it seeks to address and measure the entirety of the industry, rather than merely highlighting subsets of the market. For example, Nielsen and IRI scan offerings provide exceptionally detailed data into major Off-Premise retailers but only account for, in the case of Wine, roughly 50% of the volume and 35% of the dollars. Similarly, other sources such as Beer Institute and the recently launched SipSource underrepresent the more niche products that are increasingly sought out by customers through the likes of local Brew Pubs, Saloons, and direct-to-consumer shipments. bw166’s reports provide the macro-context needed to understand and frame the dynamics of the U.S. beverage alcohol market.
For more details regarding the total beverage alcohol market, subscribe to the bw166 Total Beverage Alcohol Overview report.