Despite increased coverage in recent years about the growth of mocktails, Dry January, and a decline in alcoholic beverage sales, it appears that alcoholic beverages are making a comeback.
According to Technomic’s recent Ignite Menu report, adult beverage mentions for the Top 200 Canadian chains grew eight per cent from Q2 2025-Q2 2026. And though beer sales have dropped five per cent during that time, all other categories are still seeing growth: red wine (up 36 per cent) with Bordeaux (+940 per cent), Barolo (+250 per cent) and Barbaresco (+250 per cent) leading the charge, white wine (up 17 per cent), and spirits (up nine per cent).
Although specialty drinks are only seeing one per cent growth, spritzers are up 17 per cent, colada/pina coladas are up 33 per cent, and specialty frozen drinks have increased 18 per cent. This growth may be attributed to some of the fastest-growing flavours in adult beverages, which include elderflower (+26 per cent), citrus (+26 per cent) and rose (+24 per cent).
Generational preferences paint an even more detailed picture, as Gen Z leads in alcohol consumption, preferring spirits, while Millennials favour beer and red wine. Boomers, though they drink less frequently, prefer craft beer, pointing to a focus on quality.
The report breaks down the trending beverage purchases by generation at casual Canadian dining chains, showing:
- The recent purchase of any adult beverage totaled 44 per cent for Gen Z, 40 per cent for Millennials, 39 per cent for Gen X, 31 per cent for Boomers, and 26 per cent for mature guests.
- More specifically, 26 per cent of Gen Z recently purchased beer, Millennials and Gen X were tied at 22 per cent, whereas 17 per cent of Boomers, and 12 per cent of mature customers recently bought beer.
- Wine was recently purchased by 10 per cent of Gen Z, nine per cent of Millennials, 10 per cent each for Gen X and Boomers, and 14 per cent in the mature category.
- Lastly, spirits were bought by 16 per cent of Gen Z, 13 per cent of Millennials, 12 per cent of Gen X, six per cent of Bomers, and one per cent of the mature crowd.
As operators work to better address diner preferences, understanding trends and identifying opportunities in the marketplace can help restaurants create effective beverage strategies, raise guest cheques, and boost the bottom line.
