Stars, stripes and sips: A dive into America’s Fourth of July toast

The Fourth of July is synonymous with fireworks, parades, and of course, backyard barbecues. But what about the drinks that fuel these festivities? A new YouGov Surveys: Self-serve poll of 1,504 US adults sheds light on America’s alcohol purchasing preferences and favorite beverages for this year’s Independence Day celebrations.

A few key findings from the survey include:

• Slightly less than half of Americans (47%) plan to host or attend a Fourth of July celebration this year, of which nearly three-quarters (71%) are likely to buy alcoholic beverages for their celebrations
• More than half of Americans (53%) who plan to celebrate July 4th and buy alcoholic beverages for their celebrations intend to purchase from domestic alcohol brands
• Nearly two-fifths of Americans (37%) are likely to drink beer during Fourth of July festivities, although, men are significantly likelier than women to do so.
• Equally popular among American men and women, soft drinks are likely to be the go-to non-alcoholic beverage for 58% of Americans during their 2024 Fourth of July celebrations

When asked if they plan to attend or host any Fourth of July events, parties or get-togethers this year, 47% of US adults said yes. The rest of this analysis focusses on just these respondents, i.e. those who intend to celebrate July 4th.

Americans’ alcohol purchasing preferences this Fourth of July

Nearly three-fourths of Americans, who intend to celebrate Fourth of July this year, are likely to purchase alcoholic beverages for their celebrations (53%).

A closer look at those celebrators who are ’very’ or ’somewhat’ likely to consider buying alcoholic beverages reveals that more than half are likely to buy from domestic alcohol brands.

While 47% of respondents say they usually buy from domestic alcohol brands and will do so for their July 4th festivities, 6% say they intend to switch to a domestic brand from their usual imported choices to commemorate this day.

While one in four respondents don’t have any specific preference where their alcohol comes from (25%), less than a fifth indicate their likelihood to buy imported alcohol brands for the Fourth of July (16%).

Let’s look at Americans’ beverage consumption patterns for their Fourth of July celebrations this year, particularly the top 10 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages they are most likely to drink during the festivities:

What are the top 10 alcoholic beverages Americans are most likely to consume while celebrating Fourth of July this year?

Chosen by nearly two-fifths of respondents (37%), regular beer (domestic or international) comes out ahead of all other given options by a significant margin. On the other hand, just 14% of respondents say they are likely to drink craft or microbrews during their Fourth of July celebrations.

Nearly a quarter say they are likely to consume vodka (23%) and one in five say they are likely to drink tequila (20%) while rum and sparkling wine round out the top 10 list (13% and 12% respectively).

Some significant differences can be noted when the data is looked at by gender demographics.

Though beer clinches the top spot among both, it is significantly more likely to be consumed by men than women (41% vs. 32%). Similarly, a substantially larger share of male respondents is likely to drink whiskey compared to female respondents (24% vs. 11%). On the other hand, women markedly outpace men when it comes to prepared, ready-to-drink cocktails (23% vs. 13%).

What are the top 10 non-alcoholic beverages Americans are most likely to consume while celebrating Fourth of July this year?

Equally popular among both men and women, soft drinks are the most likely non-alcoholic beverage to be consumed by Americans who plan to attend or host a Fourth of July celebration this year (58%).

A quarter of respondents say they will drink flavored sparkling water (24%) followed by less than a fifth who pick energy drinks (19%). Non-alcoholic beer (7%), non-alcoholic wine (6%) and non-alcoholic spirits (6%) close out the top 10 list.

As with alcoholic beverages, a gendered look at the results for non-alcoholic beverages reveals further nuances.

Among the top 10 non-alcoholic beverages most likely to be consumed during Fourth of July celebrations, women are significantly likelier than men to pick iced tea or coffee drinks (46% vs. 34%), flavored sparkling water (29% vs. 18%) or juice-based drinks (37% vs. 32%). On the other hand, men are substantially more likely to drink energy/sports drinks than women (21% vs. 16%).

Explore our living data – for free

Make smarter business decisions with better intelligence. Understand exactly what your audience is thinking by leveraging our panel of 26 million+ members. Speak with us today. 

Discover more retail content here

Want to run your own research? Run a survey now

Methodology: YouGov polled 1,504 US adults online between June 27 and June 28, 2024. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.