Refresher beverages are surging on menus, but the growing proliferation of such drinks has yet to translate into increased trials and affinity of late. Refresher has been among the fastest-growing terms on non-alcoholic beverage menus in recent years — up more than 130% over the past four years, as noted in Datassential’s recent Non-Alcoholic Beverages report. It’s expected to jump by another 35% over the next four. New introductions in the space have been on a tear so far th

Gen Z remains the most restaurant-reliant generation in the U.S., sourcing a larger share of meals away from home than any other age group, according to Datassential’s Elevate: Pantry Priorities & Plate Disruptors report. The study found that 36% of Gen Z meals are sourced away from home, compared with 31% for Millennials, 26% for Gen X, and 18% for Boomers. Conversely, Gen Z sources 64% of meals from home, the lowest share among generations surveyed. The findings come as aw

Beer and hard seltzer are carving out increasingly distinct niches on the weekly calendar, according to new research from Datassential. While at-home and weekend beer occasions continue to account for the bulk of consumption, weekday occasions showed a notable uptick in Datassential’s SIP 2026: Beer report — up 7% on-premise and up 15% off-premise. At the same time, at-home beer occasions declined 6% — suggesting consumption is shifting out of the house and into bars and rest

Following the meteoric rise of Nashville hot in recent years, several other U.S. regional flavors could be primed to gain broader appeal amid growing interest in new spice varieties. Datassential’s Spicy Flavors report noted that while U.S. regional flavors “started with looking to major metros for their regional favorites … now any cities’ unique flavors are fair game.” Along with Nashville hot, which has shot up on menus by more than 60% over the past four years, the repor