Premium drinks: why format and market matter for pricing
Speciality beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks: price gaps observed at the till offer starting points for building a range and selecting venues.
Speciality beer does not sell at the same premium everywhere. The serving size can even change the comparison with lager completely.
In the Netherlands, the median price of the ales, wheat and dark beers studied in a 25 cl serve is 58% higher than that of a lager of the same size: €5.70 compared with €3.60. For a 50 cl serve, there is no gap between these categories in Fyre’s report.
This example shows the value of looking at sales in detail before building a premium proposition. Country, beer style and serving size provide complementary reference points.
The price premium varies considerably by serving size
Market | Gap for 25 cl | Gap for 50 cl |
United Kingdom | +4% | +2% |
France | +21% | +14% |
Germany | +23% | −2% |
Netherlands | +58% | 0% |
Difference between the median price of ales, wheat and dark beers and that of a lager of the same size. Lager is the benchmark in each country and serving size.
France retains a price premium for both sizes, at +21% for 25 cl and +14% for 50 cl. In the UK, the gaps remain small: +4% and +2%. In Germany, they move from +23% for 25 cl to −2% for 50 cl.
For a beer brand, these findings invite a closer look at the size in which it wants its product to be served. An offer that appears differentiated at 25 cl may sit much closer to the price of lager at 50 cl.
This does not prove that a smaller serve alone creates a higher price premium. The products and venues making up each group may differ. These are comparisons between categories, rather than a test of the same beer served in two sizes at the same venue.
The spread of prices adds another perspective
Beyond the median price, the report measures the gap between the 25th and 75th percentiles. These two thresholds enclose the middle half of drinks served when prices are ranked from lowest to highest.
In Germany, the price at the 75th percentile for a 4 cl spirit serve is 100% higher than at the 25th percentile. In France, the gap reaches 92% for spirits and 90% for a 12.5 cl glass of wine.
In the UK, a 33 cl soft drink shows the widest spread among the eight serves studied, at +123%, ahead of cocktails at +82%. The gap is much narrower for cappuccino: +15%.
These figures describe the range of prices already recorded. They represent neither an annual increase nor the difference between the minimum and maximum price, and they are not a premium that a venue could automatically apply.
A higher price alone does not explain what creates value
A wide spread can reflect different brands, recipes, locations and service experiences. The data presented shows the gap; it does not isolate each of its causes.
To identify a potential premium opportunity, a brand can start with venues where its category already sells at a higher price point. It then needs to examine the products stocked, their volumes, serving sizes and how they are presented.
The same reasoning applies to soft drinks. The spread of UK soft drink prices invites a closer look at what distinguishes the offers and venues concerned. It does not establish that a more expensive recipe would find an audience in every venue.
Turn an observed gap into a measurable trial
For an operator, a new product can be trialled over a defined period, tracking the selling price, number of serves, product cost and preparation time. Margin and customer feedback complete the picture.
It is also useful to observe whether the new drink brings additional sales or replaces another item on the menu. A sale at a higher price does not, by itself, guarantee an improvement in the category’s overall performance.
Premium potential becomes clearer at the level of a product, a serving size and a venue. The gaps measured by Fyre help select the opportunities to explore and the comparisons to make.
Fyre helps brands and venues interpret prices recorded at the till and build offers suited to their market.
Methodology - Premium Drinks
Source: Fyre, The Price of a Drink, May–August 2026. The speciality beers presented comprise ales, wheat beers and dark beers; their median prices are compared with those of lagers of the same size. Price dispersion is the relative gap between the P25 and P75 thresholds of prices per serve, rather than between the extremes. These observations relate to the scope studied and measure neither individual willingness to pay nor the causal effect of a change in serving size or price. Premium Drinks.
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