Home-based alcohol consumption increased for consumers of legal drinking age as they became more frugal after the recession and during the subsequent slow recovery. Now, consumers of all legal drinking ages are continuing to consume alcoholic beverages at their own or someone else’s home—making it a habit more than a fad. Still, consumers are mainly drinking at home while socializing, which presents an opportunity to expand at-home drinking occasions around less formal gatherings, meal times, and the occasional glass or two as a way to unwind alone.

Despite these gains, a challenge exists with 48% of respondents aged 22+ indicating that they are drinking less of at least one of the surveyed alcoholic beverage types in 2013 compared to 2012. Indeed, respondents overall are motivated to cut back on alcohol consumption because of cost, calorie counts, and health concerns. While price adjustments, new products, and health research can address those concerns, additional competition from restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, also known as on-premise, is heating up. Manufacturers should do more to boost at-home consumption, such as ads that share cocktail recipes, food pairings, and event theme ideas.

This report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Alcohol Consumption at Home—U.S., July 2012 and the report of the same title from 2010 and 2008. The analysis is complementary to the following category-specific reports: Dark Spirits—U.S., September 2012; Wine—U.S., October 2012; White Spirits and RTDs—U.S., November 2012; Craft Beer—U.S., November 2012; and Beer—U.S., December 2012. This report does not include analysis of the on-premise retail channel, which was covered in Mintel’s On-Premise Alcohol Consumption—U.S., February 2013 report.

For the purposes of this report, the market size, forecast, and analysis will focus on U.S. retail sales, also known as off-premise sales, of the following alcoholic drinks categories:

• Beer, including domestic, imported, and craft beer

• Wine, including domestic and imported red, white, and sparkling wines

• Liquor or distilled spirits, such as vodka, gin, whiskey, or rum

• Hard cider, flavored malt beverages, premixed cocktails, and other flavored alcoholic beverages

Non-alcoholic cocktail mixers are included as part of Mintel’s custom consumer survey, but a complete market size and forecast is not provided.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.

• Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance: Total retail sales based on SymphonyIRI Group InfoScan® Reviews; U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census

• Retail Channels: Based on SymphonyIRI Group InfoScan® Reviews; U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census; except supermarket and drugstore sales, which are based on SymphonyIRI Group InfoScan® Reviews

For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore consumer consumption of/attitudes and behaviors toward alcohol consumption at home. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in Feb. 22, 2013, and March 4, 2013, among a sample of 1,822 internet users aged 22+, including 1,416 adults aged 21+ for current use questions, with access to the internet who purchased alcoholic beverages for home-based consumption in the last year. For questions that compare alcoholic beverage usage this year with the prior year, the base was changed to those aged 22+ to assure they were of legal drinking age in 2012.

Mintel selects survey respondents so that they are proportionally balanced to the entire U.S. adult population based on the key demographics of gender, age, household income, and region. Mintel also slightly oversamples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in the survey results. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.

Mintel has also analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the Simmons National Consumer Study (NCS) and National Hispanic Consumer Study (NHCS). The NCS and NHCS was carried out during Summer 2012 and the results are based on the sample of 23,468 adults aged 21+, with results weighted to represent the U.S. adult population.

While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (white, black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.

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The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report:

Generations are discussed within this report, and they are defined as:

* also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers

** previously known as Post-Millennials

In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows: