World Cup gives bars and wineries a sales boost
The FIFA World Cup is driving higher footfall and drinks sales across bars, retailers and wineries, with beer, long drinks and low and no alcohol options proving particularly popular.
The FIFA World Cup is still going on, and it has already shattered viewing records.
And as it turns out, thirsty partiers are pairing their enthusiasm for football with beer, and to a lesser extent, fine wine and spirits, bringing a much-needed influx of revenue to the cash-starved coffers of the alcohol trade.
There were signs early on that bar owners and beer, wine and spirits makers would be able to cash in, and many prepped for the big games with as much rigour and determination as the players themselves.
Fans spend more on drinks
Ahead of kick-off, 22% of alcohol consumers across the world planned to watch matches in pubs, bars or restaurants, according to Nielsen’s (NIQ) REACH research report. Twenty-six percent of the most commercially attractive cohort, those aged 18 to 34, planned to watch the games in bars.
Almost two thirds said they planned to choose bars and restaurants with good drinks deals and promotions, according to NIQ. But that does not mean they are skimping. Fifty-nine percent said they expected to spend more on drinks during World Cup games than at other times, and 58% hoped to try new drinks while they were at it.
Early reports indicate that the positive predictions were warranted. More than 8 million pints of beer were sold during England’s match against Panama in the UK.
Year on year, beer sales have risen 15.4% in World Cup host markets, with sales in Massachusetts up 30%, and an almost complete sell-out in Boston thanks to Scotland fans’ enthusiasm for beer.
We reached out to bars, stores and producers to find out what is happening on the ground.
Investment pays off for venues
Bars and venues located close to stadiums that prepared with logistical planning and infrastructure upgrades are reaping the benefits.
Avenida and The Rutherford are both just steps away from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, and each poured more than US$75,000 into TV and AV upgrades before kick-off.
“We also put a huge effort into marketing and promoting the spaces online and on social media,” says Fiach McHughhill, general manager at Avenida and The Rutherford. “All of our outdoor areas now show games on multiple huge 85-inch screens. Beer sales have shot up. We are ordering about double the beer that we usually order at this time. Depending on the country the amount consumed can differ, but Scottish and English fans put other nations to shame in their effort to throw back beer and a lot of it.”
Lighter serves come to the fore
Lighter, brighter and often non-alcoholic drinks across the board are earning new recruits.
“The low and no ABV orders are up too,” says McHughhill. “New mocktail menus using the non-alcoholic liquor Pentire have become instant hits, and the no alcohol beer market is way up with Guinness Zero proving to be a big hit.”
Sanwar Mal Khokhar, mixologist and beverage programme leader at Dallas’ Sanjh Restaurant & Bar, believes orders have become lighter and more refreshing as guests plan to spend three to four hours watching matches.
“They don’t want palate fatigue,” Khokhar says. “I’m seeing a shift from spirit-forward drinks and heavy, boozy cocktails to long format drinks such as highballs and spritzes, crisp beers and citrus-driven cocktails.”
Speed matters behind the bar
Planning ahead pays, as more guests want their drink quickly so they can get back to watching the game.
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“We find that batch cocktails like the Paloma and seasonal highballs with citrus elements are unique and easy to make ahead,” Khokhar says. “Spritzes are great too.”
El Lugar Cantina in New York City created a tournament-themed pop-up called The Matchbox at El Lugar specifically for the World Cup, featuring stadium turf, international flags, matches broadcast on a 136-inch screen and a drinks menu designed for sharing.
Since opening the pop-up, head bartender Jorge Corrales says they have seen a 10% to 15% increase in footfall and sales, particularly during afternoon matches when the venue would normally be quiet.
“We offer our Matchbox Margarita in large format, with shareable options,” Corrales says. “This, along with buckets of beer and canned drinks, are our best sellers.”
Retailers see football-inspired purchases
Retailers like Total Wine & More, which has 294 stores in 30 states and the District of Columbia and is the nation’s largest independent adult beverage retailer, are seeing buying and browsing habits transformed by the World Cup.
During the group stage of the tournament, searches for country-specific products increased sharply, says Sarah Goldhirsch, vice president of marketing.
“We’re seeing the World Cup influence what shoppers are looking for, with products tied to competing countries drawing increased interest as fans create tournament-themed cocktails at home to show their team spirit,” she says. “During the group stage, searches on TotalWine.com for Colombia’s signature spirit, aguardiente, increased 52.9%. As Colombia takes on Ghana, we expect plenty of Team Colombia fans will be cheering with an Aguardiente Sour in hand!”
When Argentina took to the pitch, searches for Fernet rose 35.2%, while Norway’s appearance inspired a 33.6% increase in searches for aquavit.
Wineries welcome football fans
Venturing to wine country to watch a match may not be the most obvious way to spend an afternoon, but wineries are seeing a significant rise in visitors and spending.
Luke Jeramaz, digital marketing manager at Grgich Hills Estate in Napa, says the winery has leaned into its Croatian heritage while introducing the brand to new consumers.
“This series of events was a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with local communities of Croatians, especially those who had never visited our winery before. A majority of our attendees were first-time visitors,” Jeramaz says. “Our guests were also fittingly overwhelmingly Croatia supporters, though we of course encouraged all to join us, regardless of the team they supported. We sold out tickets for all three events, and even raised the ticket count to accommodate the amazing response we had.”
Grgich offered guests Croatian wines Plavac Mali and Pošip, made by its sister winery, Grgić Vina, on arrival.
During the match, Jeramaz says many guests continued to support Croatia both in the glass and on the screen, although the winery’s Napa Chardonnay and Cabernet also proved popular.
Almost everyone ordered food as well.
Wineries in Texas are also reporting increased visitor numbers as Dallas hosts tournament matches and international tourists seek out local attractions.
“We have had quite a few new guests visit us because they are in the States for the World Cup,” says Courtney Freeman, director of hospitality at Duchman Family Winery in Driftwood, Texas. “We even had some gentlemen from Iceland that loved us so much they wanted to sign up for our wine club.”
The tournament still has room to grow
The tournament is still underway, and for bars, retailers and wineries there is still time to capitalise on football fever.
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