As temperatures grew warmer in April, consumers stocked up on weekends and doubled down on some new springtime favorites, such as ready-to-drink (RTD) martinis, hard lemonade, and buzzy hard seltzer brand Happy Dad. Take a peek at seasonal trends with these five insights from Drizly’s April 2023 sales.

Category Growth in RTD Martinis, Port, and Hard Lemonade

As they did in March 2023, ready-to-drink martinis led spirits growth last month. Drizly users reached for a wide range of martini flavors in their RTD purchasing; among the top five products within the category were On The Rocks Effen Vodka Espresso Martini Ready To Drink, Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini Ready To Drink Cocktail, Heublein Dirty Martini with Wheatley Vodka, Loverboy Espresso Martini, and Two Chicks Sparkling Cranberry & Lime Tartini Vodka Cocktail.

Within the wine category, Port blends made a strong showing last month, led by top-selling brands Taylor Fladgate, Dow’s, and Quinta Do Monte.

In a look ahead toward summer, hard lemonade experienced the highest year-over-year sales increase within the beer category. It’s showing strong growth against other hard alternatives as well; in April 2023, hard lemonade doubled its share within the specialty beer/alternatives subcategory year-over-year, moving from two percent to four percent. The top-selling SKU was the new Simply Spiked Lemonade Variety Pack.

Occasion Insights: Easter

Wine won out on Easter, surpassing liquor as the top-selling category on Drizly on Easter Sunday. Wine held 42 percent share of sales on Easter Sunday compared to 38 percent share in April overall, while liquor dropped from 45 percent share in April overall versus 40 percent share on Easter Sunday. Beer held steady at 15 percent share.

The Champagne and sparkling wine subcategory specifically experienced strong share gains on Eastern weekend, holding 26 percent of wine category share versus 22 percent in April overall. These share gains were specifically driven by the Prosecco and sparkling rosé subcategories.

Drizly’s Best-Selling Champagnes and Sparkling Wines, Easter Sunday 2023

1. La Marca Prosecco
2. Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne
3. Mionetto Prosecco Brut Sparkling White Wine
4. Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne
5. Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Champagne
6. Korbel Brut California Champagne
7. Veuve Clicquot Rose Champagne
8. Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Exclusive
9. Perrier Jouet Grand Brut Champagne
10. La Marca Prosecco Rosé D.O.C. 

Market Insights: Laredo, Texas

Southern Texas city Laredo experienced strong year-over-year growth in April and, like many nearby markets, tends to over-index on liquor sales. Last month, spirits held 63 percent share of sales in Laredo versus 45 percent nationally. The market specifically over-indexed on whiskey, tequila, and RTD cocktails.

Drizly’s Top 10 Liquor SKUs in Laredo, April 2023

1. 1800 Cristalino Añejo
2. Seagram’s Vodka Extra Smooth
3. Angel’s Envy Rum Cask Rye
4. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
5. Clase Azul Reposado Tequila
6. Lagavulin 16 Year
7. Oban 14 Year Single Malt
8. High Noon Limited Edition Pool Pack Vodka Hard Seltzer
9. Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Tequila
10. Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge Orange Liqueur

April’s Breakout Beverage Brands

Once again, Happy Dad hard seltzer led growth in the beer category last month, showing a continued interest in new hard seltzer brands. Following its strong showing in January and February, boxed RTD cocktail brand Beatbox Beverages also saw breakout growth in April 2023. Within the wine category, the well-known Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe experienced strong growth year-over-year.

Consumers Increase Weekend Beverage Purchasing

Drizly users ordered more frequently on the weekends in April 2023, compared to one year prior. Saturday was the top order date last month, accounting for 22 percent of share, while Friday held the top spot in April 2022. Sunday also experienced strong gains, moving out of the least-common ordering day in April 2022 into the fifth position in April 2023.