The second article in YouGov’s U.S. alcoholic beverage rankings 2026 series looks at how consideration varies by generation.
Heineken is the most considered alcohol brand in the U.S. overall - but when we look at the generational breakdown, a different story starts to emerge.
For example, Heineken doesn't top the consideration set for any single generation. It does, however, rank in the top three for Gen Z, Millennials and Baby Boomers and older – illustrating how consistently high performance across multiple age groups can push a brand to the top of the table overall.
In this article, we explore the top 10 alcoholic beverage brands across Gen Z (21+), Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers+, powered by YouGov BrandIndex tracking data.
Gen Z’s 10 most considered alcoholic beverages
Smirnoff ranks first among Gen Z, with 27.1% saying they would consider the brand the next time they are in the market to purchase an alcoholic beverage. Guinness follows at 26.3%, with Heineken in third at 24.9%.
Jack Daniel’s ranks fourth among Gen Z adults aged 21+ at 23.3%, narrowly ahead of Budweiser at 23.2%. Hennessy (22.2%), Mike’s Hard Lemonade (19.2%), Don Julio (18.4%), White Claw (17.5%), and Amstel (17.1%) complete the Gen Z top 10.
Gen Z’s tastes are clearly diverse; their top 10 list spans vodka, stout, lager, whiskey, beer, ready-to-drink (RTD), hard seltzer, and tequila brands.
Millennials’ 10 most considered alcoholic beverages
Jack Daniel’s leads among Millennials, with 23.6% saying they would consider the brand. Heineken follows at 21.7%, while Smirnoff ranks third at 20.9%.
Guinness ranks fourth at 19.0%, followed by White Claw at 18.6%. Blue Moon (18.2%), Modelo (17.5%), Corona Extra (17.2%), 1800 Tequila (17.2%), and Mike’s Hard Lemonade (16.3%) complete the Millennial top 10.
Millennials are the only generation in this analysis with both White Claw and 1800 Tequila in the top 10.
Gen X’s 10 most considered alcoholic beverages
Baileys ranks first among Gen X, with 19.7% saying they would consider the brand. Mike’s Hard Lemonade follows at 18.9%, while Modelo ranks third at 18.0%.
Jack Daniel’s ranks fourth at 17.3%, followed by Crown Royal at 16.3%. The rest of the top 10 is tightly grouped: Guinness (16.2%), Heineken (16.2%), Bacardi (16.2%), Smirnoff (16.1%), and Samuel Adams (16.0%).
The Gen X ranking has the narrowest spread between first and tenth place, with Baileys and Samuel Adams separated by just 3.7 percentage points.
Baby Boomers+ 10 most considered alcoholic beverages
Baileys also leads among Baby Boomers and older, with 20.2% saying they would consider the brand. Heineken ranks second at 15.3%, while Samuel Adams takes third at 15.1%.
Coors Light makes its first top 10 appearance, ranking fourth at 14.6% and is followed by Bacardi at 14.5%. Michelob ULTRA (14.0%), Crown Royal (13.7%), Jack Daniel’s (13.3%), Modelo (13.0%), and Budweiser (12.9%) complete the Baby Boomers+ ranking.
Compared with younger groups, the Baby Boomers+ top 10 has fewer RTD and hard seltzer brands. The list leans more heavily toward beer and spirits brands.
Methodology
This article draws on YouGov BrandIndex data collected from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026 among U.S. adults aged 21+.
Consideration is the percentage of respondents who say they would consider a brand the next time they are in the market to purchase from the relevant alcoholic beverage category. Figures are shown as percentages and rounded to one decimal place.
The generational analysis includes Gen Z adults aged 21+ (n>1,670), Millennials (n>3,290), Gen X (n>3,150), and Baby Boomers+ (n>5,010). The broader generation comparison table uses U.S. adults aged 21+ (n>13,190), Gen Z (n>1,590), Millennials (n>3,290), Gen X (n>3,120), and Baby Boomers+ (n>5,010).
Non-alcoholic beer alternatives that are tracked in BrandIndex were eligible for this ranking.
Disclosure: The data analysis in this article was conducted by YouGov with the assistance of AI tools.
About YouGov BrandIndex
YouGov BrandIndex is an always-on brand tracking tool that measures consumer perceptions of thousands of brands across sectors and markets. It helps marketers monitor brand health, benchmark competitors, identify audience-specific strengths and weaknesses, and understand how perceptions change over time.
Explore more beverage brand data
This generational ranking is one view of the broader alcoholic beverage data available in YouGov BrandIndex. Additional analysis can compare consideration with Value, Quality, Recommendation, Reputation, and other brand-health measures across relevant competitors and audiences.
Request a BrandIndex briefing to explore how alcoholic beverage brands perform across generations, competitor sets, and additional brand-health metrics.
