Light Lagers Overtake Hard Seltzers on Drizly in March

For the first time since the summer of 2019, light lager share surpassed hard seltzer on Drizly in March 2023.

Last month, light lager held 20% share of the beer category and hard seltzer held just 17%; in March 2022, hard seltzer held 19% share while light lager trailed with 18 percent, Drizly said. Demand for hard seltzer began to level off in late 2021 and 2022, but this share shift could indicate that light lager is making a comeback for this spring and summer, Drizly added.

Fastest Growing Beverage Categories in March

Last month, ready-to-drink martini cocktails experienced exceptional year-over-year growth, another sign that consumers are branching out with their RTD flavors, Drizly said. Top sellers included On The Rocks Effen Vodka Espresso Martini, Two Chicks Sparkling Cranberry & Lime Tartini, Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini, Loverboy Espresso Martini, and Bols Espresso Martini.

The Malvasia grape variety saw breakout growth within the wine category in March; the kosher Bartenura Malvasia drove sales this month. Within the beer category, dubbel came out on top. The classic Belgian beer capitalized on the last days of winter with its darker, richer style and malty flavor profile.

For St. Patrick's Day

more Drizly consumers opted to stick with year-round favorites. Each subcategory was the third-best selling one within its respective category, experiencing strong share gains over St. Patrick’s Day but not as strong as the occasion last year.

On March 17, dry stout held 12.8% share of the beer category, compared to 1.9% in 2023 to date. However, it was down from last year’s 17.5% share, and it was outranked by both light lager and hard seltzer on March 17, 2023.

A similar phenomenon occurred with Irish whiskey, which held 9.2% share of the liquor category – up from 3.4% year-to-date. Last year, it held 11.7% share on St. Patrick’s Day, and both vodka and bourbon held higher share this year.