On-trade sites earn $13,500 from cocktails in Q2

The average on-trade venue in the US earned more than US$13,500 from cocktail sales during the second quarter of 2022, new data has shown.

According to CGA’s Cocktail Sales Tracker, this represents an 11% increase compared with the first quarter of the year, and a rise of 4% compared with the final quarter of 2021.

The jump in sales is ‘solely attributed’ to traffic, with consumer numbers up by 14% during the second quarter (Q2).

Additionally, as summer gets under way, consumer cocktail preferences appear to be changing, according to the report.

The Mojito overtook the Old Fashioned as the fourth most popular cocktail during Q2.

However, the biggest change in the top 30 most popular cocktails came from the Piña Colada, which went from 17th place to become the ninth most popular cocktail thanks to an 87% spike in traffic. CGA said this was most pronounced in New York, particularly during the final four weeks of Q2.

Matthew Crompton, regional director – North America, said: “The changing dynamics of consumer preferences are coming through in the cocktail tracker.

“The summer presents ample opportunities for beverage suppliers to maximise these shifts in preferred serves to complement occasions and changes in the weather – and understanding these trends will be key to building a winning cocktail strategy in the on-premise.”

Other trends highlighted by CGA included breakfast and brunch experiences, which experienced high velocity growth in Illinois (95%) and New York (33%) in Q2. Bellinis and Mimosas were the favourite cocktails for these occasions.

CGA said knowing how each market reacts to the seasonal changes can help suppliers identify areas of opportunity and target consumers more effectively.

Meanwhile, in the UK, trade body UK Hospitality released the Benchmarking Report, which detailed the “extreme pressure” facing on-trade businesses.