- Sally Lyons Wyatt
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Circana’s “Share of Sip: Mapping the Beverage Evolution” report highlights several trends in today’s broad beverage market, from at-home rituals to the ongoing thirst for functional offerings. The desire for experiential imbibing — spanning both nonalcoholic drinks and adult beverages — is a notable trend that reflects current dynamics and uncovers further opportunities in the $490 billion U.S. beverage sector.
So, what kinds of experiences are modern beverage drinkers seeking?
Multi-sensory engagement
Outside the home, restaurant patrons are gravitating toward beverages such as dirty sodas and bubble teas that look, taste, and even sound fun. Dirty sodas are up 318% in quick-service-restaurant (QSR) cases compared to two years ago, while bubble teas surged 354% in that same period.
Indulgent imbibing at home
When it comes to at-home alcohol consumption, shoppers are splurging on premium adult beverage brands. The percentage of volume sales for luxury beers reached 40.7% in 2025, up from 39.6% in 2023. Volume sales for premium and luxury wine and spirits also rose during that time.
Coffeehouse and juice bar vibes
Many consumers are replicating coffeehouses experiences at home, as sales of espresso makers, frothers, and moka pots grew during the 52-week period ending January 3, 2026. Mini juice bars are also becoming popular in home kitchens, with citrus juicers continuing to expand in both units and sales.
Bottom’s up
The beverage experience isn’t just about the actual beverage. Circana’s data shows that drinkware shops on social commerce channels are performing well. The Frost Buddy line of can coolers, for example, reached 589.3K followers and 18.2 million likes on the TikTok platform.
The next wave of customization
Advances in artificial intelligence, including generative AI and agentic AI, are propelling more experiential innovation. Beverage brands can now leverage AI to enable personalization at the point of choice, offering features like “pick your benefit” flows and QR-powered builds.
To tap into more beverage insights, watch the full "Share of Sip" webinar.
