Low-cost options dominate U.S. alcohol sales, study finds

RTI research shows more than half of spirits and one-third of wine sales are priced at $1 or less per drink

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.  — Excessive alcohol use remains a leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and new research from RTI International, an independent scientific research institute, reveals that low-cost alcohol products account for a disproportionate share of sales across 42 states.

Researchers found that in license states where alcohol sales are privately controlled, 57.4% of spirits sales were priced at $1 or less per standard drink, and nearly one-third of wine sales fell into the same low-cost category. Beer and ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs) also showed significant shares of inexpensive options, with 23.3% of beer sales and 18.4% of RTD sales priced at $1 or less per drink.

“Low-cost alcohol is widely available and frequently purchased in the U.S.,” said Doris Gammon, a senior public health researcher at RTI and lead author of the study. “Our findings underscore the potential for pricing policies to reduce excessive drinking, and in turn, chronic disease and death.”

The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, analyzed five years of retail scanner data from NielsenIQ, covering privatized off-premises alcohol sales. 

The analysis covered more than 100,000 alcohol products sold between November 2018 and 2023. While product availability increased—particularly for RTDs, which grew by 67%—average prices remained low. Across all alcohol types, the sales-weighted average price per standard drink was under $2.00, far below the estimated economic cost of excessive drinking, which was $2.88 per drink in 2023 dollars.

Spirits stood out as the most affordable category, with an average price of $1.14 per standard drink, compared to $1.40 for beer, $1.90 for wine, and $1.50 for RTDs. These low prices persist despite well-documented links between alcohol affordability and increased consumption and harm, the authors note.

The study also observed shifts in consumer preferences over time. Beer and wine sales declined between 2019 and 2023, while spirits and RTDs saw notable increases, with RTD sales jumping by nearly 69%.

Read the full study (via Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs)

Learn more about RTI’s substance use research