This edition of Ground Signal’s Menu Analysis series tracks cocktail menu presence across 2,700+ independent sports bars nationally, comparing Q4 2025 against Q3 2025. Covering nearly 38,700 cocktails across six spirits categories — Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Gin, Whiskey, and Liqueur — the data reveals which brands are winning and losing operator placement in one of the On-Premise’s most competitive Key Trade Channels.

Key Findings Include:

• Tito’s holds a commanding lead in Vodka at 36% menu share — more than double the next-ranked brand — while challengers Haku (+22% QoQ) and Wheatley (+17% QoQ) are among the fastest-gaining brands in the category.

• In Whiskey, Buffalo Trace gained +12% quarter-over-quarter to reach 7.5% menu share, even as the category’s two largest brands — Jameson (23%) and Bulleit (15%) — both shed placement heading into Q4.

• The Espresso Martini is gaining menu real estate across multiple categories simultaneously, ranking among the trending cocktail formats in Vodka, Tequila, Whiskey, and Liqueur — a cross-category signal that operators are broadly investing in the format.