Ground Signal’s Menu Analysis series tracks menu presence across the On-Premise to reveal which brands and cocktails are featured — and how that’s changing over time. This edition looks at Independent Cocktail-Focused Dining nationally, analyzing more than 14,700 accounts and 261,000+ cocktails to show how these menus shifted year-over-year through Q1 2026. The result is a clear read on where competitive pressure is building across Vodka, Tequila, Whiskey, Rum, Gin, and Liqueur.

Key Findings Include:

• The Espresso Martini has cemented itself as a modern menu standard — now the 4th most common classic cocktail in the channel at 36% of cocktail menus, and still climbing, up +15% YoY on menus with a Vodka cocktail (where it reaches 38% share).

• In Tequila, Corazón was the standout climber, jumping five ranks to #7 at 4.6% menu share and up +13% YoY — a challenger brand converting momentum into real menu placement in a crowded category.

• In Gin, Aviation posted the category’s fastest growth at +46% YoY, reaching 2.7% menu share — still an emerging presence, but the clearest sign of movement in a category led by Hendrick’s at 13%.