NielsenIQ (NIQ) released “The Halftime Report,” a beverage alcohol scorecard measuring the front half of 2025. The report found that total beverage alcohol sales are down 3% year-over-year, totaling $53 billion, for the 26 weeks ending July 5, including the initial Fourth of July impacts.

For the key beverage alcohol segments (beer, wine and spirits ), the report found the following performance

• Beer: -3.1% in dollars, -4.7% in volume
• Wine (excluding ready-to-drink): -5.9% in dollars, -6.7% in volume
• Spirits (excluding ready-to-drink): -2.8% in dollars, -3.2% in volume

The report also tracked the total ready-to-drink (RTD) with all base types combined. This segment saw dollar sales up 1.7% and volume down 3.2%.

For what’s instore for the beer category, report author Kaleigh Theriault states: “Some segments of beer, super premium and non alc, were able to find growth. Summer selling for 2025 is falling short for beer, and the next few weeks through Labor Day will have substantial impact on overall 2025 performance.”

Theriault pinpoints the trends impact wine performance. “Moderation, premiumization, and economic concerns have impacted wine this year,” she writes. “Wines, both table and sparkling, around the $20 retail price point are being recognized by retailers and suppliers as a sweet spot with consumers and shoppers as it’s a match for quality and value.  Sparkling Wine above $50 is bucking declining dollar trends.”

Meanwhile, Theriault explains in the report that the spirits business continues to be impacted by the RTD market, but still has some segments of growth.

“Tequila continues to be the popular front half 2025 choice driving growth in spirits, with smaller gains in ready-to-serve, non alc spirits and cordials,” Theriault writes.

Theriault highlights the positives of RTDs, but notes flavor innovation will be important going forward.

“RTD has momentum in dollars as drinkers premiumize with Spirits RTDs,” Theriault writes. “The consumer preference for flavors is present in RTDs, but will need to go beyond traditional flavors to continue to capture the RTD audience.”

For the first half, the report notes that moderation, wellness and social movement impacted volume and value performance, adding that economic pressure and premiumization are prompting shoppers toward products that deliver on quality, convenience and value.

For the back half of 2025, the report predicts that core beer, wine and spirits will struggle reach flat growth rates, while RTDs will keep the momentum in place for beverage alcohol for revenue, but volume will likely fall short.