In Nashville, Lower Broadway is known for its large crowds, bachelorette parties, and a string of bars bearing the names and images of country music stars. It is where tourists go to get drunk. It has also become home to a new kind of establishment: bars that feature a wide selection of nonalcoholic drinks.
Late last year, country star Ashley McBryde opened up her Redemption Bar after four years of sobriety. It is one of a growing trend of spaces where alcohol is either not the star of the show or absent altogether.
Recent Gallup research suggests embracing the trend will be an excellent business decision. The results on alcohol consumption in Gallup’s 2026 Social Series poll show that the rapid drop in drinking has held steady and continues to decline for young people, the most targeted demographic for bars.
The rate of U.S. adults who say they drink, as opposed to completely abstaining from alcohol, is at 54%, which is unchanged from 2025. This is the lowest level since Gallup first asked the question in 1939. The highest rate of drinking occurred in 1976 and 1977, when 71% of adults were self-described as drinkers. The rate stayed in the low-to-mid 60s from the 1980s until 2022, when it peaked at 67% before beginning its rapid decline.
At 13%, Americans who report they sometimes overdrink are also at an all-time low.
Those who report attending a religious service weekly drink at a rate of 48%, which is unchanged since the 2023 survey. Every other demographic has shown a decline in drinking rates since then. Only half (50%) of adults aged 18-34 are drinkers, down from 58% in 2023.
As far as beverage of choice, beer has seen the most rapid decline. Of those who say they drink, 36% say beer is their preferred drink, down from 47% in 1992. Roughly a third say they prefer wine (30%) or liquor (32%).
More data from the Gallup survey is available here.
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