Industry Insights Beverage Alcohol – Are Gen Z or Baby Boomers the Problem? August 18, 2026bw166 Recent industry coverage has framed declining beverage alcohol consumption as a Gen Z problem or a Baby Boomer problem. NSDUH data suggests the issue is broader: younger consumers drink less often and consume fewer servings when they do drink, while older consumers naturally reduce consumption as they age. The industry challenge is not choosing which […] Read more »
Industry Insights bw166 2026 mid-year Update July 28, 2026 | July 28, 2026bw166 US Beverage Alcohol – 2026 Mid-Year Update The US beverage alcohol market remains under pressure in 2026, with beer, wine, and spirits all showing continued volume softness, even as consumer spending remains relatively resilient. Beer volume over the last 12 months totaled 174 million barrels, down 5.6% year over year. The six-month trend is down […] Read more »
Industry Insights tba overview June 2025 US Beverage Alcohol Review July 23, 2025 | November 21, 2025bw166 BW166 tracks the total beverage alcohol market in the US by analyzing 100% of the domestic tax-paid shipments into the US market, as well as all imports into the US market. We maintain monthly or annual data files back to prohibition. This is the only way to truly track the entire market as opposed to […] Read more »
general Beverage Alcohol 2024, A Few Bright Spots, But Mostly Headwinds January 26, 2025 | November 21, 2025bw166 There is much commentary in beverage alcohol trade publications on the trends in the US beverage alcohol market in 2024. Much of the news is negative. BW166 has just issued the Total Beverage Alcohol Overview for December 2024 with a special addendum. The report tracks 100% of the total beverage alcohol entering the US market […] Read more »
general The Good, the Bad, and the Inventory February 5, 2024 | November 21, 2025bw166 Recently, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its fourth quarter estimate, reporting GDP growth of +3.3% – demonstrating the good news that the U.S. economy is still expanding. And, importantly, highlighting that a key component of the increase was consumer spending. Consumer spending in calendar year 2023 for off-premise beverage alcohol was $225 Billion (+3.7%) […] Read more »
