Beer sales surge in bars and restaurants

Beer sales in restaurants and bars in the United States gained ground in 2025, adding more than $300 million in dollar share as consumers continued to shift spending away from home and back into taprooms, according to anonymized purchase data from Fintech covering more than 145,000 on-premise businesses nationwide.

The increase, equal to 2.6% year over year, came after a slow first half of the year for alcohol spending, but operators saw a stronger second half as beer outperformed the broader category. The trend reflects a consumer pattern that has been building since the pandemic: Americans are spending more time and money outside the home, especially on food and drinks consumed socially. Away-from-home food and beverage spending surpassed $1 trillion in 2025, according to an Eventbrite social study report cited in the analysis.

For bars and restaurants, the shift matters because beer sold on-premise typically carries a higher price than beer sold in retail stores. It also comes at a time when the labor market remains relatively strong, with hourly earnings up nearly 4% from 2024 and U.S. employment at record levels. That combination has helped support discretionary spending in bars and restaurants even as alcohol sales overall have faced pressure.

The data show that packaging preferences also changed. Kegs gained 4.5 dollar share points from bottles and cans compared with 2024, translating into a $596 million gain for draft beer. That suggests operators may need to pay closer attention to tap lists and draft margins as consumers continue to favor drinking out.

Among draft brands, Michelob Ultra held the largest share of dollars in 2025 at 16.7%, up 1.4 points from the previous year. Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light and Blue Moon followed, though each lost some share. Modelo Especial ranked sixth on draft but posted one of the strongest gains, rising 2.3 share points to 6.2%.

The brand’s momentum was even clearer on-premise than off-premise. Michelob Ultra remained the top beer by dollar share both in bars and restaurants and in retail stores, but its on-premise gain of 1.3 points was nearly twice its off-premise increase. Modelo Especial showed a similar pattern, gaining just 0.1 point off-premise but 1.1 points at restaurants and bars.

In bottled beer sold on-premise, Michelob Ultra again led with 19.3% of dollars. Miller Lite followed at 13%, Coors Light at 11.7% and Bud Light at 9.8%.

The low- and no-alcohol segment also continued to expand its presence on menus. Heineken Zero held the largest share of dollars in 2025, though it lost 3.2 points from a year earlier. Michelob Ultra Zero ranked second at 9.7%, and its 9.4-point gain made it the fastest-growing brand in the category across both on- and off-premise channels.

In the broader beyond-beer category, White Claw remained the leading brand by dollar share, followed by Twisted Tea and Truly. In craft beer, Blue Moon stayed in first place with 9.8% of dollars, unchanged from 2024, while Voodoo Ranger and Sierra Nevada rounded out the top three.

Bank of America card data cited in the analysis showed bar spending rising nearly 4% year over year in January 2026 even as spending at liquor, wine and beer stores fell, reinforcing the idea that more consumers are choosing to drink outside the home rather than stock up for home consumption. For restaurant and bar operators, that has made beer an increasingly important traffic driver and a key part of efforts to lift check sizes amid uneven demand across the alcohol business.