The pregame is back: 6 insights for brands navigating the new night out

Pregaming. A lively college dorm, tables adorned with red solo cups, people gathered around with a deck of cards, upbeat music playing in the background — this is typically what comes to mind for many. 

But today, pregaming isn’t just a ritual reserved for college kids. Many adults have turned to pregaming, not to “party,” but as a means to combat the rising prices of alcoholic beverages at venues and stadiums.

Zappi surveyed 1,000 US consumers, of which over 500 considered themselves consistent drinkers — who drink at least once a week or more — to better understand this shift in consumer behavior and how alcohol is being consumed today. 

Read on for our findings. 

To start, it’s worth noting that even with a rise in prices, people are still willing to sacrifice elsewhere to protect their drinking habits. 

In fact, almost half (49%) of drinkers have held their consumption steady despite real financial pressure. 

To accommodate this, 67% of regular drinkers have made at least some lifestyle change to manage alcohol costs: 26% have cut back on eating out and 23% have cut back on other non-essential purchases, while 17% have used credit cards more and 12% have even dipped into savings.

Only 33% say they have made no changes to afford alcohol — meaning the majority are actively protecting their drinking budget by trading off elsewhere.

This illustrates the true resilience of alcohol as a spending category. Even under financial pressure, committed drinkers are finding ways to maintain their consumption. 

Takeaway for brands: This is reassuring on demand, but it also raises a responsibility question around how they communicate value and encourage smarter spending choices. 

As we mentioned above, while pregaming may have previously been more associated with college students, this is no longer the case. 

As part of managing the cost of drinking, 65% of adults say they pre-game at least sometimes before going out, with nearly 1 in 3 doing it often or every time (32%).

In fact, 30% of adults stated they have specifically pre-drank to avoid paying venue prices — the joint number one money-saving tactic alongside avoiding rounds. For those still going out, pre-gaming has become a sort of coping mechanism to preserve the social occasion, but reduce the bill. 

Among price-sensitive drinkers (those who say rising costs impact their going-out decisions) pre-gaming is the single top behavior at 43%, ahead of avoiding rounds (40%), switching to water or non-alcoholic drinks (33%).

Takeaway for brands: Pre-gaming is no longer a niche or age-specific behavior — it's a mainstream occasion that brands need to design for deliberately. Retail brands, particularly RTDs, spirits and hard seltzers should be thinking about the "pre-game moment" as a distinct occasion.

When it comes to the main drivers of these behavior changes, while the top reason for pre-gaming is to reduce spending on a night out (26%), "I prefer drinking in a more comfortable setting" comes in second (17%), ahead of socializing before going out (13%) or controlling intake (13%). 

This suggests that pre-gaming is also becoming habitual and embedded in social routines among adults — not purely reactive to price — meaning now the behavior likely won't simply reverse if costs ease.

Takeaway for brands: Brands shouldn't just frame pre-gaming purely as a compromise driven by cost — it's also a comfort and social preference for some. There's a positioning opportunity around the home as a premium occasion in its own right. Think: quality products and good atmosphere. 

Overall, 45% of regular drinkers say they're drinking more at home instead of going out — the single most common cost management behavior in our data. And consumers are approaching it with intention, with 34% seeking out promotions and discounts and 26% buying in bulk.

RTD formats are a natural beneficiary as a portable and pre-measured option and the global RTD market is projected to more than double by 2035. 

This has clear implications for retail strategy. These are engaged shoppers who can be influenced at the point of purchase. 

Takeaway for brands: For brands, things like multi-buy deals and loyalty schemes aren't more than promotional tools, they're directly aligned with how consumers are already thinking. 

Unsurprisingly, venues are losing spend at both ends — with fewer visits and lower spend per visit among those who still come. 

When people pre-game, 41% say they buy fewer drinks once they arrive and 12% avoid buying drinks at the venue altogether. On top of that, 29% set a strict drink limit before going out and 30% avoid buying rounds — all pointing to deliberate, planned reduction in venue spend. 

Overall, 39% of regular drinkers are going out less often than a year ago and 75% say rising prices have at least some impact on their going-out decisions.

Takeaway for venues: This creates urgency for bars and restaurants to rethink their value proposition — things like welcome drink deals or early evening happy hours that intercept the newfound pre-gamer to convert them back into paying customers.

On top of this, there’s also a bigger shift towards alternative, no/low alcohol and cannabis drinks. 

To start, 32% of adults are buying cheaper brands and 23% have switched to a less expensive alternative of their usual brand due to cost. 

And 16% are completely replacing alcohol with cannabis/THC beverages — a meaningful substitution signal, particularly as more states move toward legalization. Others are removing the alcohol completely, with 12% switching to non-alcoholic alternatives, consistent with the wider sober-curious trend (US alcohol consumption has dropped from 67% to 54% of adults between 2022–2025). 

Takeaway for brands: For mainstream spirit and beer brands, the battle is on two fronts — retain drinkers who are trading down within alcohol and hold the line against substitution. 

As with any behavior change, whether it’s adjusting for rising prices or seeking new alternatives, the brands that stay close to consumers are the ones who will pull ahead. 

That’s why continuously maintaining a pulse on consumer preferences is so important — so you can stay ahead of what’s coming. 

For more on what’s trending with consumers today, check out our CPG Trends report for a deeper look at the data, trends and forces reshaping the consumer packaged goods industry.