Specialty espresso has maintained its past-day lead over conventional espresso amongst U.S. customers, in keeping with the Nationwide Espresso Affiliation‘s (NCA) newly launched 2026 Specialty Espresso Report.

Launched in collaboration with the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA), the report is predicated on a nationally consultant survey of 1,850 American adults aged 18 and older, performed in January 2026 as a part of the NCA’s ongoing Nationwide Espresso Information Developments (NCDT) research. A separate taste choice module utilizing a software from market analysis firm Dig Insights yielded further outcomes from a pattern of 400 respondents. 

Throughout the report, the “specialty” bucket features a broad vary of cold and warm drink sorts, together with espresso brewed from premium entire bean or floor varieties, espresso-based drinks, non-espresso-based drinks corresponding to chilly brew and ready-to-drink codecs. The report doesn’t title particular person manufacturers as examples of “specialty” or “conventional,” though the phrase “premium” seems quite a few instances as a qualifier. 

Previous-day consumption of specialty espresso held regular at 47%, sustaining its benefit over conventional espresso at 42%. That past-day hole first appeared in 2024 and continued in 2025. On the past-week degree, 58% of Individuals reported ingesting a specialty espresso beverage, up 10 proportion factors since 2021.

Total, the report factors towards a U.S. espresso market that has been slowly however persistently evolving, with extra indicators of specialty consumption amongst youthful customers and within the residence.

The complete report is accessible totally free with registration. 

Espresso-Primarily based Drinks Attain Report Highs

The most important engine in specialty espresso ascendance stays espresso-based drinks. 

The report discovered that 58% of Individuals had at the least one specialty espresso previously week, up from 48% in 2021, whereas 45% had an espresso-based beverage previously week.

The weekly espresso-based class was led by lattes (21%), espresso (20%) and cappuccinos (17%). On a past-day foundation, espresso-based drinks reached 29%, the best degree recorded on this report sequence.

That progress is particularly concentrated amongst 25-39-year-olds, who posted the best past-week specialty penetration at 69%. In that very same age group, 60% had an espresso-based beverage previously week, together with 31% who had espresso, 29% who had lattes and 25% who had cappuccinos.

Chilly Espresso is Nonetheless Increasing

Amongst past-day specialty espresso drinkers, 60% mentioned that they had a chilly specialty espresso previously week, up 6 proportion factors from 2025.

The report additionally discovered that 38% had a chilly espresso-based beverage previously week, up 6 factors 12 months over 12 months, led by chilly lattes (17%) and chilly mochas (11%). Previous-day penetration for non-espresso specialty drinks held at 17%, with chilly brew at 8% and frozen blended espresso at 7%.

Notably, these surveys have been performed in January, suggesting chilly drinks have gained traction all year long, not solely within the hotter months. 

Youthful Adults, Hispanic Customers and Coastal Areas Stand Out

Amongst 18-24-year-olds, general espresso ingesting nonetheless trails older teams, but specialty already leads conventional espresso inside that cohort, at 50% to 40% on a past-week foundation.

Amongst Hispanic Individuals, specialty reached 67% previously week, the best of the ethnic teams damaged out within the report.

Amongst U.S. areas, the Northeast and West led past-week consumption at 64% and 61%, respectively, whereas the Midwest was lowest at 49%.

Taste is a Battleground

This 12 months’s report ventures deeper into taste, components and competitors from different drinks.

Amongst past-day specialty espresso drinkers, the report says 35% imagine taste is a part of what makes a espresso “specialty.” It additionally discovered that past-day specialty drinkers have been extra possible than conventional espresso drinkers to have consumed different flavored or useful drinks, together with tea (54%), water with added nutritional vitamins or vitamins (35%), flavored water (34%) and coconut water (20%).

Within the separate flavor-notes train, candy notes ranked first general, adopted by nutty and fruity. The strongest particular person descriptors have been chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and vanilla.

But specialty drinkers additionally confirmed higher openness than conventional espresso drinkers to a wider vary of profiles, together with choose fruity notes corresponding to citrus and orchard fruit, plus extra area of interest spice, floral and inexperienced notes corresponding to chai-inspired spices, jasmine and tea-inspired flavors.

House and Cafe Preparation

Amongst past-day specialty espresso drinkers, excluding RTD-only respondents, 76% had at the least one espresso ready at residence, whereas 36% had at the least one ready away from residence. Cafes, espresso retailers and donut retailers accounted for 18% of past-day preparation places.

The most typical residence preparation methodology remained the drip espresso maker (32%), adopted by single-cup brewers (26%), ready-to-drink espresso (21%), chilly brewing (19%) and espresso machines (18%).

“Medium” remained probably the most generally consumed roast degree at 58%, whereas 59% of specialty drinkers added a sweetener or syrup and 60% added some type of whitener. 

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