Number of cocktail drinkers on the rise
The Cocktails in Europe report from CGA byNielsenIQ also revealed the popularity of the Pornstar Martini has increased in Great Britain by four percentage points.
However, the Espresso Martini has fallen slightly out of favour with a drop of five percentage points.
The Mojito is the most popular choice in the European on premise with almost half of consumer opting for it.
Day parts data
Meanwhile, the part of the day when consumers are drinking cocktails has change with earlier day parts growing in popularity as the brunch occasion is up 13.5% year on year.
Furthermore, the report also looking at what influences the cocktail consumer with 62.5% of those surveyed from across the continent agreeing that even if they had already decided what they were planning to drink, could be swayed by bartender recommendations – over-indexing against the average consumer by more than 10%.
Some 67% of cocktail drinkers agreed they enjoyed being educated about the drinks being served by knowledgeable bartenders.
The majority (57%) also reported they would prefer bartenders to more proactive in making recommendations.
Capitalising on trends
CGA managing director EMEA Graeme Loudon said: “It’s clear although the cocktail category has continued to grow in popularity with European customers in the on premise, tastes can shift dramatically within a short amount of time.
“Consumers are continuing to explore different flavour profiles, categories and brands and drinks suppliers need to consider how to adapt their positioning across these different markets to capitalise on new trends.”
Looking to the future, while the cost-of-living crisis has already started to shape some consumers’ behaviours, the on-trade remains a key channel for many consumers that they will continue to prioritise when it comes to their discretionary spend, according to the report.
Many are still opting to visit the on-trade for treat or special occasions and attributes including ‘high quality’ continue to rank highly as key in drinks choice.
The report highlighted these are significant opportunities for premium brands to drive increased revenue by targeting a more discerned consumer segment.
