Specialty Coffee Consumption Reaches 13-Year High, Study Shows

The National Coffee Association (NCA) reports that specialty coffee consumption in the US has reached a 13-year high, with 45% of American adults having specialty coffee in the past day, up 80% since 2011. This growth is attributed to the Boston Tea Party, which changed the American drinking preference to coffee. NCA’s full Spring 2024 National Coffee Data Trends report showed that 67% of American adults drank coffee in the past day, a two-decade high.

A nationally representative survey conducted by Dig Insights and released in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) revealed that 66% of those aged 25-39 drank specialty coffee in the past week, more than any other age group. Within the specialty category, espresso-based beverages are up 4% and non-espresso-based beverages are up 7% since last year. Ready-to-drink is now the third most popular preparation method among past-day specialty coffee drinkers, up by more than 83% since 2023.

Specialty coffee drinkers drink more coffee on average than traditional coffee drinkers at 2.8 cups per day, compared with 1.8 cups each day. Brands are responding with new innovations to meet consumer trends. Café Bustelo recently introduced its first-ever multi-serve iced coffee collection: Café Bustelo Espresso Style Iced Coffee, which includes three varieties: Unsweetened, Sweetened, and Vanilla. Packaged in 40-ounce bottles, the Espresso Style Iced Coffee lineup is now available at Target and will be available at Walmart and Kroger with future restocks.

NESCAFÉ introduced NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso and NESCAFÉ Ice Roast to its U.S. portfolio this spring, giving a new generation of consumers more opportunity to experience the rise in popular espresso-based and cold coffees. Both espresso- and non-espresso-based beverages are growing within the specialty coffee category, according to the NCA.

Coffee’s enduring popularity and growth show that America’s favorite beverage keeps up with consumers’ taste for tradition just as well as meets changing needs and preferences over time. Consumers’ interest in specialty coffee also coincides with a growing interest in health and wellness, where coffee delivers unique benefits as demonstrated by decades of independent scientific evidence showing that coffee drinkers live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how specialty coffee trends impact the coffee category.

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