Gopuff analyzed recent beverage sales, survey and trend data to identify the country’s most beloved summer drinks and beverages, our thirstiest cities, certain cravings for liquid energy and more as Americans brace – and hydrate – for one of the hottest summers on record. From White Claw to Truly, BODYARMOR to Waterloo, Gopuff’s Integrated Data & Consumer Research team dissected all the data you can drink to predict this year’s “summer sip.” 

Daniel Folkman, VP of Business at Gopuff, said, “With a vertically integrated model, we’re able to leverage real-time sales, unique behavioral and survey data to understand the beverages Gopuff customers love most – and make predictions about future consumer behavior. The past few months have brought about new ways of life for many of us, and as we continuously work to analyze and predict trends for our partners, we identified that, across the board, Americans have shown an increased interest in having beverages of all kinds delivered, with a few standout favorites.” 

With Americans staying home more than ever before, Gopuff’s beverage sales have seen a tremendous boost, with alcohol orders increasing exponentially during the first five months of 2020. Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago have experienced the highest order volumes this year, but others hot on their tails since the start of the pandemic in March include El Paso, Texas; Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Detroit, Mich.; and Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N.Y. 

Additional summer beverage trends based on sales and survey data include:

The 2020 Summer Sip is… Spiked Seltzers 

Not surprisingly, hard and spiked seltzers once again reign supreme in the summer drinks category, based on unit sales and orders, with domestic beer and red wine trailing close behind. Nearly half (48 percent) of Gopuff customers prefer White Claw over other brands like Truly, Twisted Tea and Mike’s Hard Lemonade (black cherry, lemonade and mango are among the most-ordered single White Claw flavors). That said, 28 percent of Gopuff customers surveyed say they plan to mostly drink beer this summer (Bud Light and Miller Lite), while 26 percent plan to mostly drink hard seltzers (White Claw and Truly) and 19 percent plan to mostly drink wine (19 Crimes and Black Box).

Americans Love the Fizz

Seltzer sales – of the non-spiked variety – also continue to rise, with a 63 percent increase from March to April on popular sparkling water brands like Waterloo and Spindrift. Over the past few years, seltzer has enjoyed increased interest as a bubbly treat without the guilt. Now, as the pandemic encouraged consumers to do what they can to feel healthy, many shoppers have leaned more heavily into products like seltzer, vitamins, enhanced water and more. 

The Homebound Effect: What Time is Happy Hour…? 

Compared to this time last year, Gopuff customers are now more likely to order alcohol between 12 – 6 p.m., and less likely to order it between 6 p.m. – midnight. Customers are also more likely to order alcohol on the weekdays than they were in 2019, but once the weekend does roll around, it’s cause for celebration – 69 percent of weekly Korbel Brut Champagne sales take place Friday – Sunday (while 60 percent of single, 24-ounce cans of Miller High Life are ordered during the workday). Without long commutes and clearly defined office versus home hours, the pandemic has broken down many of our traditional conceptions of time and structure, and consumers have become more willing to step outside of their traditional behavior.

An Alternative Source of Energy

In addition to alcohol, Gopuff has seen a massive spike in energy drink purchases within the past few months – a 210 percent increase since the beginning of the year, in fact, with Red Bull and Monster being the most popular brands. Reign is the most popular new energy drink brand, while others like BODYARMOR, along with sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and Vitamin Water have seen recent sales growth, as well. As many work from home, consumers likely began looking for different ways to power their workdays. 

Whether you’re looking to purchase White Claw for a Zoom (or socially distant) happy hour, order beer to pair with dinner, or stocking up on seltzer water to enjoy throughout the day, Gopuff is a one-stop-shop for all beverage needs, plus everyday essentials like home supplies, OTC medicines and snacks. Gopuff stocks more than 2,500 products in centrally located facilities in each of the more than 200 facilities delivering to customers in more than 500 cities to bring products directly to customers in minutes. 

Online survey of summer drink popularity was conducted by Gopuff of a random sample of 3,000 Gopuff customers ages 18+ nationwide.

To get your summer sip on, visit gopuff.com or download the Gopuff mobile app at the iTunes App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more!