Q1 2025 Beer, Spirits & NA Beverage Performance & Trends – 3Tier Beverages via NIQ
In this exclusive quarterly deep dive curated for Brewbound Insiders, 3Tier Beverages breaks down the latest trends shaking up the beverage industry.
NIQ
Featured NIQ Content
On-Premise Update & Outlook – CGA by NIQ March 2025
The On Premise universe grew in December, particularly driven by openings of Casual dining outlets, which were the most common venue type.
Bump Williams Consulting: FMB, Spirits-Based RTD Volume Gains Slowing; Imports Remain ‘Beacon of Consistent Volume’ Growth
The once-booming flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment is “showing some concerning declarations over recent weeks,” Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) founder Bump Williams noted in a recent report. FMB volume gains dropped by half – from +2.2%, to +1.1% – from the four-week period to the one-week period ending May 18, according to NIQ retail measurement data cited by BWC.
Additional Content
NIQ: Total Bev-Alc Sales Show Slight Improvement
The latest data set from NIQ showed a modest improvement in sales growth for total bev-alc in the two-week period before August 10, according to analysis from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Brewbound Podcast: NIQ on Bev-Alc at Halftime 2024 and the Coming 4th Mega Category
Beverage-alcohol’s growing “fourth category” of flavor-first offerings are quickly becoming a “mega category,” NIQ VP of alcohol industry thought leadership Jon Berg shared on the latest edition of the Brewbound Podcast.
Bernstein: Twisted Tea is ‘Only Meaningful Source of Growth’ for Boston Beer; Predicts +9% Growth in Next 5 Years
Twisted Tea accounts for the majority of Boston Beer’s volume and has become the company’s “only meaningful source of growth,” Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat wrote in a report focusing on the brand’s sustainability.
CGA: Non-Alcoholic Beer Outpacing Category Growth On-Premise
Similar to the off-premise, the non-alcoholic (NA) beer segment is outperforming the broader beer category in bars, restaurants and other venues, according to CGA, an NIQ-owned on-premise market research firm.
NIQ: Total Bev-Alc Sales Slip Through End of June
The latest data set from NIQ showed a modest slowdown in sales growth for total bev-alc in the two-week period before June 29, according to analysis from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
CGA Impact Report: Planned On-Premise Visits for Mother’s Day -10 Points Versus 2023
A majority of consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day outside of bars and restaurants, according to the latest impact report from CGA, a NIQ-powered on-premise market research firm.
NIQ: As RTDs Become Mega Category, FMBs, Spirits-Based RTDs Grab Shelf Space
With changing demographics and drinking habits, and as inflation and desire for convenience shifts shopping patterns, suppliers should view ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings as a unique mega category, according to a new report from NIQ.
Bump Williams Consulting: Craft Finds Q1 Growth in Grocery; New Belgium No. 1 Craft Beer Vendor
Craft finished Q1 with dollar sales nearly flat year-over-year (YoY), declining -0.3% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels (total xAOC + liquor plus + convenience) through March 30, Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) reported in its first quarterly craft report for 2024.
Bump Williams: Innovation Slowdown Hopes to Bring More Efficiency to Beer; Flavor-Forward Brands Dominate Shelf Space
Retailers are “paying increasingly more attention” to the sales rates/velocity of beer brands and it has resulted in the contraction of the amount of brands on shelves, as well as the amount of new brands entering the marketplace, according to Bump Williams’ monthly report for Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).
CGA: On-Premise Beer Declines in Dollars and Volume, But Bright Spots Exist in Imports, Below Premiums
Beer sales at bars and restaurants have declined in both dollar sales (-0.7%) and volume (-5.7%) in the 12-month period through the end of January, according to NIQ’s on-premise data firm CGA.
St. Patrick’s Day Preview: Gen Z Heads to the Bars; Bev-Alc Off-Premise Dollar Sales Steady Since 2021
Could the luck of the Irish be with bev-alc producers this month? Nearly one-third (32%) of consumers plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, according to consumer research firm Numerator.
CGA: On-Premise 2024 Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day Performance Down vs. 2023
On-premise sales velocity on Super Bowl Sunday (February 11) was down -19% versus an average Sunday this year, and -4% versus 2023, according to CGA, NIQ’s on-premise market research arm.
Brewbound Podcast: 3 Up 3 Down with Stephanie Roatis and Mary Mills
3 Tier Beverages’ Mary Mills and Stephanie Roatis break down the early year data, including positive cider trends in convenience, non-alc trends, hard seltzer rationalization and much more. They also get into the growing trend of private label hard seltzer and whether anyone can break through the hard coffee curse.
3 Up 3 Down: Hard Cider C-Store Gains Continue; FMB Subsegments Struggle as Hard Tea Grows
3 Up, 3 Down with 3 Tier Beverages is a quarterly insights series available to Brewbound Insiders, via the Chicago-headquartered, bev-alc-focused consulting and data firm.