Cited in various publications since at least the 1890s, the phrase “Champagne tastes on a beer budget” refers to Champagne as a luxury drink, while beer represents a common, more-affordable drink. Today, as the phrase still means luxury on limited wealth, it seems to mirror the on-premise channel experience, as more consumers seek out “treat” experiences, despite having limited spending power.
“On-premise has normalized from pandemic lows then bounced back post re-opening,” says Scott Scanlon, executive vice president of BevAl at Chicago-based Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group.