Kicking off a new year, consumers branched out into new categories and looked to some familiar, more health-oriented ones. Dry January trends resulted in spikes for non-alcoholic wine, beer, and spirits, while consumers also reached for a new brand’s añejo tequilas and richer styles of beer. Explore these and more insights from Drizly’s January 2022 sales.

Category Gains: Baijiu, Carignan/Cariñena, and Quadrupel

Within the liquor category, January pointed to strong gains for baijiu, China’s clear spirit typically made from fermented sorghum. Top-selling SKUs last month include Kweichow Moutai, Ming River Sichuan Baijiu, and Wuliangye.

Some beer consumers leaned towards heavier styles in January, with the strong, dark quadrupel style experiencing some of the highest year-over-year growth. The best-selling quadrupel SKU was the Rochefort 10. Within wine, consumers were reaching for European styles from the Carignan/Cariñena variety. While this grape is popular in France and Spain, the top-selling SKU in January was the Ampeleia Unlitro Costa Toscana from Italy, a juicy, easy-drinking blend.

Dry January Insights

While January typically sees a spike in lighter beverage options, January 2022 indicated that Dry January really took hold among Drizly users. After already seeing noticeable growth during the holiday season, non-alcoholic categories saw significant share gain month-over-month.

Non-alcoholic wine, beer, and spirits accounted for .31 percent share of total sales on Drizly in January 2022—a small percentage overall, but a 48 percent jump year-over-year. Within that non-alcoholic category, non-alcoholic spirits experienced the largest jump over December 2021 (up 150 percent). Non-alcoholic beer followed with a 100 percent increase month-over-month, while non-alcoholic wine experienced 14 percent increases over December.

Drizly’s Top-Selling Non-Alcoholic SKUs, January 2022

• Heineken Non-Alcoholic 0.0
• Athletic Brewing Run Wild Non-Alcoholic IPA
• Athletic Brewing Free Wave Non-Alcoholic Hazy IPA
• Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Seedlip ‘Grove 42’
• Fre Chardonnay
• Lagunitas IPNA
• Seedlip ‘Spice 94’ 
• Ariel Chardonnay
• Seedlip ‘Garden 108’ 

January’s Fastest-Growing Products

Underscoring purchasers’ move towards health-conscious products this month was the breakout growth for Avaline, a celebrity-owned “clean wine” that emphasizes ingredient transparency. The brand’s top seller was its white wine, followed by the rosé. Adictivo tequila experienced breakout growth within the liquor category, driven by their añejo SKUs, including the Adictivo Tequila Extra Añejo.

In the beer category, Lone River once again rose to the top of the pack. The hard seltzer’s growth was driven by their variety pack, original, and spicy Ranch Water SKUs. Distribution has increased significantly year-over-year; in January 2021, it was available in two states, and in January 2022, it was available in 28.

Market Insights: Peoria/Bloomington, Illinois

In January 2022, Peoria/Bloomington was one of the fastest-growing markets year-over-year. The market over-indexes on both liquor and beer relative to national sales, with liquor accounting for 57 percent of order share and beer accounting for 25 percent of share. Conversely, wine only accounted for 16 percent of share in the market, while it holds 40 percent nationally.

Drizly’s Top-Selling Subcategories in Peoria/Bloomington, Illinois, January 2022

• American-Style Lager: 13 percent
• Vodka: 13 percent
• Flavored Whiskey: 13 percent
• Red Wine: 11 percent
• Bourbon: 11 percent
• Spiced Rum: 5 percent
• Lager: 4 percent
• White Wine: 3 percent
• Hard Seltzer: 3 percent
• Light Lager: 2 percent

Consumers Reached for Lighter Drinks

Alongside non-alcoholic alternatives, many Drizly users opted for lighter beverage options last month – a so-called “damp January.” Wine wine, vodka, silver/blanco tequila, light lager, and hard seltzer all experienced share gains month-over-month.