2015 Survey of Alcoholic Beverage Preferences in Restaurants

Did you know that the color of wine and how well it goes with a meal are the two most popular factors considered when choosing a wine to drink at a restaurant or bar? Or that consumers located on the east and west coast prefer wine, while those located inland are more likely to prefer beer?

Uncorkd has uncovered this information and more after conducting a survey composed of beverage related questions that reveal consumer alcoholic beverage habits and insight when dining out. The 2015 Survey of Alcoholic Beverage Preferences in Restaurants exposes the major factors that influence on-premise beverage consumption, backed by a data-driven examination of consumers of legal drinking age living in the United States. This sneak-peak will reveal 3 key trends that consistently appeared through the responses.

1. One of the most important beverage program elements for all consumers is whether or not a restaurant has a great alcoholic beverage selection.

The availability of a great alcoholic beverage selection is an answer that continuously appeared no matter what filter (age, region, etc.) was applied to the survey. This reveals what consumers actively search for when deciding where to dine out. Having a large selection ensures that the restaurant will have what the consumer is looking for, plus an array of other options with several different price points. A big selection means that there are many choices that can pair with a meal, whether a consumer is looking for wine, beer or spirits.

2. Uncertainty is the number one reason people do not purchase wine.

Consumers avoid drinking wine or spending more money on wine when they don’t know how it tastes. People don’t want to feel the buyer’s remorse that accompanies purchasing a wine that has an unexpected taste. Using tasting notes or pairing suggestions could eliminate the hesitation that prevents people of ordering a beverage with their meal. Providing this type of information on your menu could drastically increase sales.

3. Younger consumers (21-30) are 2x more likely to utilize social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in a restaurant.

We found that social media usage decreases as people get older, which isn’t a surprise. However, it is interesting to note that Millennials nearly double the amount of other age groups when it comes to online social interaction. Restaurants should decide what groups they want to target for their establishment and utilize these findings to their advantage. For example, if an establishment wants to increase Millennial traffic, they can develop a social media presence that speaks directly to that age group. During this process, they need to keep in mind what other preferences the younger generation has, such as their fondness for beer over wine.

If you would like to see the complete results and survey data, visit Uncorkd’s resource page here. The finished survey is provided for analysis based on general responses as well as broken down by demographic data and beverage preference data. We have also created a condensed version of the survey responses in a SlideShare presentation for easy viewing.