3 Colorado Alcohol Trends to Watch in 2020

2019 was a wild year for the beverage industry. Trends ebbed and flowed rapidly, directly impacting purchase behavior of bartenders and beverage buyers. You would be surprised to discover that what's trending nation-wide isn't necessarily what's trending in Colorado.

Today we dive deep into our data from 2019, where we analyze over 150 million servings of alcohol ordered through the Provi platform by on-premise bars and restaurants in Colorado.

Spirits Soared in 2019
Denver has quickly become a mecca for all things craft beer. With hundreds of breweries to choose from (and more on their way), it comes as quite a surprise that in 2019, spirits were the segment of choice for Denver-metro area bartenders and beverage buyers. By years’ end, spirits held 48.10% market share, growing 9% YoY—knocking beer down to second place. Our take? With the magnitude of options within the spirit segment, we expect these numbers to rise even higher in 2020.

Bartenders Were Slingin’ More Sour Than Seltzer
While the rest of the country was preoccupied with all things spiked and sparkling, Colorado had it’s mind on something else: sour beers. By the end of 2019, the style held 1.16% market share of the beer segment. And while this may seem minuscule, just compare it to 2018’s 0.41% market share. That means the style grew a whopping 181% YoY! 

You're probably asking yourself, why is everyone is so obsessed with sour beer? And, we're just gonna shoot'chya straight, it's because it's awesome. This funky beer style is the perfect niche offering for a market already obsessed with unique or complex beers. So, whether you like it or not, expect to see a lot more of it in 2020.

Don’t Worry Craft Beer is still Boomin’
Beer may be seeing a decline in share, but craft beer is an entirely different story. The segment as a whole is seeing much success, growing 13% YoY. And when broken down into local and regional craft, you see both are on the up and up as well. Regional craft ended 2019 holding 36.34% share, a 19% YoY growth. And local craft grew by 6.27% from 2018, ending the year with 15.08% market share. 

To get to the point: Craft beer isn't going anywhere in 2020. According to this list, there are over 100 breweries set to open this year. Think of all the beer that has yet to be drunk!