Though spring may have officially begun in March, April is the month where spring drinking trends really begin to emerge. Consumers are reaching for lighter, fresher beverages and packaging suitable for outdoor socialization, and they are adding on extras that complement beverage consumption. Explore more about monthly drinks trends with five key insights from Drizly’s April sales.

Inside April’s Fastest-Growing Subcategories

April’s fastest-growing subcategories included añejo tequila, nonalcoholic beer, and Cinsault. Though nonalcoholic beer isn’t a new category, it’s experiencing new growth as the overall nonalcoholic drinks trend gains ground. Nonalcoholic beer was the fastest-growing beer category in April, led by Athletic Brewing Company, which was among the top three fastest-growing beer brands last month.

Cinsault experienced high year-over-year growth due to the success of The Palm rosé, a second wine from popular brand Whispering Angel, which uses Cinsault in its blend. The rapid growth of añejo tequila this month points to just how established the tequila category as a whole has become. “Consumers are beginning to trade up and explore tequila subcategories beyond silver/blanco SKUs,” says Liz Paquette, Drizly’s head of consumer insights.

Insights from the Transition to Spring

Last month saw consumers settle into spring, reaching for lighter wine, spirits, and beer options as seasons changed. Within the wine category, red wine dropped from 32 percent to 30 percent share from March to April, while rosé share increased from 6 percent to 8 percent. Whiskey lost two percentage points within the liquor category while vodka and tequila experienced share gains, and both IPA and cider lost one percentage point each within the beer category.

Drizly users also increasingly opted for single-serve drinks suitable for outdoor sipping as the weather turned warmer; canned wine, hard seltzer, and ready-to-drink cocktails all gained share month-over-month.

April’s Breakout Brands

Further cementing the fact that spring is in session, Hampton Water rosé was the top-selling wine brand year-over-year in April. Another single-serve RTD cocktail brand topped the list of spirits breakouts: Ranch Rider, a Texas-based brand known for the tequila-based Ranch Rider Ranch Water and Ranch Rider Paloma, as well as the vodka-based Ranch Rider Chilton.

Within the beer category, hard seltzer and hard alternatives led the pack. Vizzy has experienced growth within the crowded hard seltzer market by highlighting its antioxidant ingredient, vitamin C, which appeals to health-conscious consumers. Loverboy, founded by reality TV stars from the show Summer House, success has been driven by its hard iced teas, including a White Tea Peach, Hibiscus Pom, and Lemon Iced Tea.

Consumer Insights: Order Add-Ons

In April, consumers increasingly sought out extras that facilitate the drinking experience and complement their beverage alcohol orders; corkscrews and bottle openers were the fastest-growing extras subcategory last month. 

“Retailers who are legally able to do so should consider adding tools like corkscrews and bottle openers to drive incremental revenue and increase margins for online orders,” says Paquette. The top five subcategories ordered alongside corkscrews and bottle openers in April were red wine, white wine, soda/water/soft beverages, lager, and ale.

Market Insights: Tyler and Longview, Texas

These two cities in eastern Texas comprised the fastest-growing market on Drizly year-over-year in April. Market-specific data indicates that consumers in Tyler and Longview skew heavily towards spirits purchases; liquor accounted for 83 percent of order share in April, compared to a national average of 43 percent. Within the spirits category, this market over-indexes on vodka, bourbon, silver/blanco tequila, Canadian whisky, and flavored whiskey.