The spirits category is now showing volumes at approximately 93% of their pre-pandemic levels in the on-premise, according to Nielsen/NIQ, with menu prices up 25% on average, boosting the value side. Wine is running at 66% of pre-pandemic volume, “having struggled to retain some consumers since the end of covid restrictions.”

Tequila is leading the way for spirits on-premise, ranking as the top category in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, sparkling wine, driven by western states in particular, has been boosting the on-premise wine category. RTDs have been the fastest-growing category on-premise overall, “especially in channels like nightclubs and bars, where RTDs’ share has jumped by 0.7 and 0.5 percentage points,” according to NIQ. –Daniel Marsteller