Summertime: warmer days call for colder drinks
Streetbees spoke to more than 1,800 people around the world (all of legal drinking age, of course) to explore how tastes for drinks change in the summer
Summertime: the days get warmer, the drinks get colder and barbeques suddenly look a whole lot more appealing.
It’s big business for the $1.3 trillion drinks industry too, as hot weather means tastes change — and well over 4 in 5 of our bees (83%) say they drink alcohol.
That means opportunities for brands across the world to reach new customers, drive sales and launch new products. But what are people actually sipping on this summer?
Mixed feelings about mixed drinks
Our global study immediately reveals significant differences between summer drinking cultures.
During the summer months, cocktails and mixers top the list in the West, with over 3 in 5 of those who drink alcohol in the UK and US reaching for gin and tonics and piña coladas as soon as the sun’s out. In regions like China and the Philippines, it’s under 1 in 2.
Beer does better in the east. In China, ales specifically are by far the most popular — more than half our Chinese bees (54%) picked it as their favourite, compared to just 4 in 10 in the west
In African territories, cider is popular. The fruit-based drink came in second (just behind cocktails), with 23% of Kenyan, Nigerian and South African bees choosing it.
And when it comes to non-alcoholic options, the globe’s favourite categories are carbonated drinks (35%), fruit juices (32%) and good, old-fashioned water (19%).
Boys will be boys (and will also probably drink beer)
Beer reigns supreme worldwide, at least where men are concerned.
64% of men chose beers (both ale and lager) as their number one choice of alcoholic beverage, far higher than women — just over a quarter (28%) of women say they favour a summer beer. In fact, our female bees’ tastes were less uniform overall: 41% choose cocktails and 25% are fans of mixers like vodka and coke.
A sizable amount of both genders consider themselves bigger drinkers when sunny weather rolls around — 38% of women and 37% of men say they drink more alcohol in the summer. Having said that, almost half of both genders (49%) say that they drink the same amount, no matter the season.
Very few members of both genders prefer drinking spirits. For men, just 1 in 5 (19%) prefer drinking liquor, while for women that drops down to 11%.
When it comes to non-alcoholic options, carbonated drinks and fruit juices are popular among both genders, but after that, coffee is the next most popular with men, at 19%, and water is the next most popular for women, also at 19%.
What does this mean for brands?
For drinks brands looking to expand into new markets, knowing the local drinking culture is key.
In the UK and US, cocktails are the drink of the day. And, while gender doesn’t seem to affect the amount of alcohol consumption, our bees definitely reported significant differences in the type of drinks, so there could be a real opportunity there for brands to specialise their offerings.
In Asia, on the other hand, the markets are far more beer-centric. Leaning heavily on ales, especially in Chinese markets, will likely pay off well.
Globally, the male demographic is also focused on beer, with a large proportion consuming ale. For brands looking to appeal to a new wave of ale drinkers — particularly those in younger demographics — there is a clear gap for craft products that offer something different from the norm.
Other findings:
- 42% of people feel they are more likely to drink alcohol when the weather is nice.
- 40% of our Chinese bees preferred to drink red wine in the winter.
- 2 out of 3 (66%) Brits say their favourite drink when they are away on holiday is alcoholic.
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A quick word on our methodology: The figures in the article are taken from Streetbees community members in the UK, US, China, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and the Philippines, carried out in May/June 2018. All of the data was collected by mobile and web surveys, and is accurate to within 3 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
