Leader in technology solutions and intelligence releases its annual report on alcohol performance surrounding the Day o’ the Green
SYRACUSE, NY (March 24, 2025) — BeerBoard, the leader in technology solutions and automated intelligence for the on-premise hospitality industry, today released its report on the 2025 Men’s Basketball Tournament Opening Weekend, a review of insights and performance data for on-premise alcohol performance on the weekend when sports enthusiasts come together for four days of college basketball.
All comparisons are same locations for the 2025 opening weekend (March 20-23, 2025) vs the 2024 opening weekend (March 21-24, 2024).
BeerBoard’s robust client list features local bars and restaurants, high-profile regional groups and major chain operators across North America including Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Twin Peaks, Winking Lizard and Hickory Tavern.
And without further ado, let’s see how the on-premise fared among the madness:
Draft, Package See Huge Increase When Compared Against St. Patrick’s Weekend
When comparing the opening weekend of the Madness (Thur-Sun, 3/20-23) to St. Patrick’s Day Weekend (Fri-Mon, 3/14-17), Draft and Packaged volumes showed sizable growth. Draft was +26.8%, while Packaged was an eye-popping +120%. Spirits realized a significant drop of -30.4%, indicating a shift in consumer preferences toward beer and Beyond Beer when compared to the St. Patrick’s holiday weekend.
Draft Beer Volume Down vs 2024
The opening weekend of the 2025 Men’s College Basketball Tournament saw a modest decline in on-premise performance compared to the previous year. Draft beer volume was down -5.8% when compared to 2024. Correspondingly, revenue experienced a slightly steeper drop, falling -6.6% year-over-year (YoY).
Draft Style and Brand Performance
Domestic beer maintained its position at the #1 draft categories, marking a nominal +0.9% increase YoY, and accounted for 47.6% of the total volume share. Craft beer followed declined by -3.6% compared to last year and had 35.3% volume share. Imports (led by Mexican lagers) showed a notable increase of +4.87% YoY and captured 16% of the volume. Beyond Beer, while representing a smaller portion of the market at 1.1% volume share, exhibited significant growth of +21.5% YoY.
Light Lagers continued to lead draft style trends and grew by +2.1% on the weekend (YoY). Lagers held steady as the second most popular style, but was up just +1% YoY. IPAs continued to decline, down -9.8% YoY. European Ales and Belgian Wit/White Ales, were down -2.3% and -13.4% YoY, respectively.
Among notable draft brands, Michelob Ultra led the pack with a 13.9% volume share, growing +8.9% YoY. Coors Light followed with an 11.2% volume share, up +2.1% YoY, while Miller Lite was down -1.5% YoY, and held 10.5% of the share. Modelo Especial continued its upward trajectory with a 6.8% volume share, increasing by +10.2% YoY. Bud Light rounded out the top five with a 6.4% volume share, down -7.6% YoY.
Mixed Results Across Packaged
Packaged products also faced challenges during the opening weekend, with total volume down -12.6% and revenue falling -7.8% YoY. However, Beyond Beer products saw significant growth, making up 11.2% of the volume share with a +14.4% YoY jump. Also notable was craft beer, representing 8.6% of the volume share, with an increase of +4.8% YoY. Domestic beer dominated the packaged category, holding 48% of the volume share with a +2.2% YoY increase. Imports accounted for 32.2% of the volume share, though it declined by -8% YoY.
Light Lagers led packaged style trends with a 41.3% volume share, rising by +1.1% YoY. Lagers accounted for 33.1% of the share but saw a decline of -6.9% YoY. RTD (Ready-to-Drink) Cocktails continued to gain popularity, holding a 6.6% volume share with a remarkable +45.6% YoY increase. Non-alcoholic beverages, with a 5.6% volume share, grew by +22.8% YoY, while Hard Seltzers accounted for 4.5% of the share, down -12.7% YoY.
In packaged brand performance, Michelob Ultra topped the list with a 13.1% volume share, increasing by +1.5% YoY. Corona Extra followed with a 12.4% share, though it declined by -14.5% YoY. Miller Lite held a 10.7% volume share, down -1.5% YoY, while Coors Light accounted for 8.4%, falling -1.1% YoY. Bud Light rounded out the top five with a 6.2% volume share, declining -1.3% YoY.
Spirits Performance
Spirits consumption during the opening weekend revealed interesting category and brand trends. Despite overall declines, some key categories experienced growth: Whiskey reflected a +12.2% YoY increase and led the category with a 31.4% volume share, Tequila followed closely with a 20.5% volume share and grew +11.3% YoY, while Vodka held a 16.5% volume share, marking a modest +3.9% YoY rise. Among notable brands, Jack Daniels experienced robust growth, up +9.3%. Tito’s Vodka was up +5.8% over 2024, while Jameson Irish Whiskey posted a nominal +1% increase.
As the 2025 Men’s College Basketball Tournament continues, these trends offer valuable insights into consumer preferences and market performance during one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.
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About BeerBoard
BeerBoard is the leading technology solutions provider for the hospitality industry, enabling retailers, distributors and suppliers to make fact-based decisions about their complete alcohol management. The company manages more than $1 billion in alcohol sales and 100,000 products through its industry-leading solutions. Its patented digital platform captures, analyzes, and reports real-time data related to alcohol ordering, inventory and payments. Versatile and easily operated from a single dashboard, it has streamlined operations, efficiency and improved revenue across the United States. Find out more about how BeerBoard is changing the alcohol industry at beerboard.com.