Data from CGA by NIQ’s On Premise User Survey underlines the dynamism of hospitality in the city, which has a high level of high-income consumers going out regularly. Four in five (80%) eat out at least weekly - 11 percentage points more than the US average - and nearly half (48%) drink out weekly, which is 20 percentage points above the US benchmark. 

• Craft beer dominates Denver’s beer scene, earning 34% of total sales and growing its share by +0.3pp (percentage points) in the last 12 months*. Nearly two thirds (63%) of frequent visitors to Denver are craft beer consumers—15 percentage points above the average.

• Tequila is the city’s highest-earning and fastest-growing spirit, capturing 1.5 percentage points more share of spirits in the last year.

• The Margarita is the top selling cocktail in Denver, as in most US cities. Cocktails that are notably more popular here than in other US locations include the Espresso Martini, Moscow Mule, Old Fashioned and Paloma.

• Live sport and music are integral to the hospitality scene, with visits to sports bars and outdoor music festivals 15 percentage points above the US average.

• Happy Hours are a big driver of sales in Denver. The city over-indexes for visits to these by 17 percentage points, while brunch and late-evening day parts are also much more popular than average.

Denver’s consumers comfortably over-index for occasions like catch-ups with friends, celebrations and treats—the three most popular reasons for drinking out. Meals with friends and family, during travel and for celebrations are the most common reasons for eating out. 

Atlantic Club’s tour will introduce operators from the UK and US to some of the Denver’s hottest restaurants, food halls and bars, to sample the food and drink, experience innovative and inspirational concepts and meet their founders, leaders and chefs. 

The Atlantic Club’s Denver tour takes place from 4 to 6 June. For more information, click here. The tour is complemented by CGA by NIQ’s suite of research solutions, including in-depth sales analysis and authoritative consumer research to help Beverage suppliers achieve winning strategies. To learn more about CGA by NIQ’s suite of On Premise solutions contact the CGA by NIQ team. CGA by NIQ is an Atlantic Club partner.

*OPM (On Premise Measurement) Beer & Spirits Data to MAT to 01/25/2025