Prepared cocktails once again were the sole driver off growth in early February. Dollar sales rose 7.1% and case volume rose 1.4%, NIQ reports. But that wasn't enough to offset thee 3% decline in spirits dollar sales, a greater loss of 2.8%in the prior four weeks ended Jan. 31. Volume was down 1.7%

As for beer, Super Bowl may not have been a super bust – sales during Super Bowl week itself were up 8.8% – but the period leading up to Super Bowl certainly was a disappointment with dollar sales during the four weeks ending Feb. 7 saw beer down 0.8% from a year earlier and volume down 1.4%.

Wine saw the smallest decline among traditional categories. Dollar sales eased 0.2% and volume dipped 1.4%.

NIQ saw signs of resilience in bev/al in the early February sales results, but emphasized the need for stronger contributions beyond Prepared Cocktails to maintain stability. Reduced contributions from Beer and Wine this period drove Total Bev/Al back into a familiar plateau.

Looking at the top 10 states, Ohio and Texas offered stability in early February sales. Ohio led growth, as dollar sales increased by 2.0%. This was followed by Michigan at 0.9% and Texas at 0.8%, while New York recorded the steepest decline, down 3.6%.