This edition of Ground Signal’s Menu Analysis series examines cocktail menu performance across national independent On-Premise accounts for Q1 2026, tracking quarter-over-quarter shifts in brand placement and cocktail trends. The analysis covers 79,600+ accounts with cocktail menus — spanning Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Gin, Whiskey, and Liqueur — drawing on data from over 1.15 million listed cocktails nationwide. For suppliers and distributors managing menu strategy at scale, this report surfaces where momentum is building and where competitive pressure is intensifying heading into Q2.
Key Findings:
- Jameson extended its hold at the top of the Whiskey category with 13% menu share nationally, while also ranking among the fastest-gaining brands in the category — up 2.4% quarter-over-quarter — signaling that the #1 position is not just stable but actively strengthening.
- In Gin, Aviation posted the sharpest menu share gain of any brand tracked across all six categories, climbing 57% quarter-over-quarter to reach 2.8% menu share — a meaningful move for a brand pushing into the top tier of a competitive field.
- St. Germain climbed one position to #3 in Liqueur with 19% menu share, posting a 4.2% quarter-over-quarter gain — one of the largest increases among high-share brands in any category this quarter
