In a rapidly changing and growing e-commerce market, the beverage alcohol industry looked to BevAlc Insights this year for data-backed takeaways and real-time insights into consumer trends, rising categories, and products to know. Our most-read articles of 2021 underscore the banner year that ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails had, with three RTD-specific pieces ranking in the top 10. Readers also gravitated towards our overview of Hispanic and Latinx-owned alcohol brands, our guide to prepare for aluminum can shortages, and Drizly’s third annual consumer report.

Here are the top 10 BevAlc Insights articles of 2021.

10. Drizly’s Top 5 RTD Cocktail Flavors

Riffs on classic cocktails dominate the top-selling ready-to-drink cocktail flavors

The top five RTD flavors across Drizly showcase the variety within this rapidly growing category and indicate why retailers should dedicate shelf space to varied options within the category. Top flavors include vodka-based options, margaritas, mai tais, and more. Read the Full Article

9. What Retailers Can Learn From Drizly’s 20 Top-Selling Whiskeys

Data points to increased product diversification, wider geographical reach, and more

Whiskey is the top-selling spirits category on Drizly, making its 20 best-selling SKUs on Drizly valuable for retailers to understand in order to maximize sales. From the importance of bourbon to increasing innovation and trading up, discover takeaways from the top 20 list that point to larger trends for the category as a whole. Read the Full Article

8. What Retailers Can Learn From Drizly’s 20 Top-Selling RTD Cocktails

High Noon dominates, but the category continues to grow and diversify

Analyzing the 20 best-selling RTD cocktails on Drizly highlights diversification – both of brands and flavors – the shift to single-serve options, surprising premiumization, and the category’s appeal to health-minded consumers. Read the Full Article

7. 2021 Drizly Consumer Report

Drizly’s third annual consumer survey – unpacking the behavior shifts and emerging trends influencing the future of the beverage alcohol industry

For the third year, Drizly partnered with a research firm to survey over 1,000 Americans of legal drinking age on a range of topics, from beverage preferences to purchasing habits. The report explores the influence of Gen Z adults of legal drinking age, ongoing behaviors that arose during the pandemic, and the impact of e-commerce. Read the Full Article

6. BevAlc Insights’ Top Predictions for Beverage Alcohol in 2021

2021 is likely to be a transitional year, with many pandemic-induced behaviors and trends persisting even amidst a slow return of a pre-Covid way of life

In the early days of 2021, Cory Rellas, the CEO of Drizly, offered his predictions for beverage alcohol over the coming year. He anticipated a transitional year, with some pandemic-influenced trends persisting even as a sense of normalcy returned, as well as a strong year for Mexican spirits, more brand value consciousness, and more connection through technology. Read the Full Article

5. What Retailers Can Learn from Drizly’s Top 20 Best-Selling Wines

Consumers are trading up and embracing alternative formats, among other key takeaways

Once again, our analysis of Drizly’s top-selling wines proved popular among readers. Among the takeaways explored were consumer willingness to embrace boxed wine, the increasing allure of international wines, and shifting demographics and price points among wine consumers. Read the Full Article

4. How to Prepare for Potential Aluminum Can Shortages in 2021

After can shortages prevented retailers from keeping top-sellers in stock last year, many are monitoring the situation closely and stocking up early

Though it’s been nearly two years since Covid-19 first set off supply chain disruptions across industries, those disruptions have persisted in challenging the beverage alcohol industry. Last year, we highlighted the issue of ongoing aluminum can shortages (and resulting product supply issues) and offered solutions for retailers to adapt. Read the Full Article

3. Insights from Drizly’s Top 20 Top-Selling Beers

Lasting pandemic impact and rise in alternatives have led to core beer share decline, will the category bounce back?

Fierce competition from hard seltzer and RTD cocktails has challenged the beer category in recent years, but Drizly’s best-selling beer SKUs list offers helpful takeaways about the core beer category for retailers. This article explores the trajectory for beer sales and the rising importance of lighter beers. Read the Full Article

2. The Hispanic and Latinx-Owned Alcohol Brands to Have on Your Radar

How to stock, support, and sell Hispanic- and Latinx-Owned drinks brands on Drizly

Ahead of Hispanic History Month, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, we spoke with the people behind some of Hispanic- and Latinx-owned alcohol brands on Drizly to highlight the many reasons why retailers should support and stock these brands all year round. Read the Full Article

1. BevAlc Insights’ 2022 RTD Cocktail Forecast

Ready-to-drink cocktails are poised for strong growth, driven by flavor innovation and a shift away from hard seltzer
It’s fitting that our ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail forecast ranked as the most-read article on BevAlc Insights this year, as this category has seen continually strong growth throughout 2021 – even as consumers returned to restaurants and bars. With even more brands and SKUs on the market, as demand for hard seltzer begins to level off, RTDs are poised to have a bright future. Read the Full Article