In April, we learned that coffee consumption in the United States is at a two-decade high. It was part of the Spring 2024 edition of the National Coffee Association’s National Coffee Data Trends report, where we also learned that specialty coffee was helping fuel the rise. And now, the NCA has expanded on that insight. Working in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association, the National Coffee Association has released a consumer insight report on specialty coffee trends, and it shows exactly how popular specialty coffee has become.
Released Wednesday of last week, they found that 45% of American adults surveyed had consumed specialty coffee in the past day, a 13-year high. Overall, past-day consumption of specialty coffee is up 80% since 2011. Most notably, it is the first time in the history of the NCA’s reporting on the subject that specialty coffee has outpaced past-day traditional coffee consumption, which came in at 44%.
The upward trajectory of specialty coffee has been driven by coffee drinkers aged 25 through 39, 66% of whom reported consuming specialty coffee in the last week, the highest of any age group. And specialty coffee drinkers tend to consume more coffee than traditional drinkers, averaging 2.8 cups per day versus 1.8.
Within the specialty coffee category, espresso-based beverage consumption increased 4% over last year, and non-espresso drinks went up 7%. NCA CEO Bill Murray state:
Coffee’s enduring popularity and growth shows that America’s favorite beverage keeps up with consumers’ taste for tradition just as well as it meets changing needs and preferences over time.
Consumers’ interest in specialty coffee also coincides with a growing interest in health and wellness, another area where coffee delivers unique benefits as demonstrated by decades of independent scientific evidence showing that coffee drinkers live longer, healthier, happier lives.
The report is a testament to the modern popularity of specialty coffee. What was once a niche subculture has become ubiquitous. It’s never been a better time to be a specialty coffee drink, something you probably don’t need data points to support in order to understand its veracity. Nonetheless, here it is, the proof in the pudding, specialty coffee not only in the mainstream, it is the mainstream.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
