Sports, Energy Drinks Hit All-Time Highs

Sports drinks and energy drinks each climbed to their highest share of daily beverage occasions on record in the second quarter of 2026, extending gains from the first quarter, according to Datassential’s BUZZ Q2 2026 report.

Sports drinks rose to 2.7% of total beverage occasions in the year ending Q2 2026, up from the prior quarter and above the 2.6% high the category had previously reached. Energy drinks climbed to 2.6%, up from 2.5% in the first quarter.  

Sports drinks are consumed most often at midday: mid-morning-through-afternoon occasions accounted for 1.3% of all beverage occasions in Q2, well ahead of mornings (0.8%) and evenings (0.7%). In-home occasions, at 2.1% of total beverage occasions, outpaced away-from-home at 0.6%, with both ticking up slightly from Q1.

Energy drinks held largely steady across dayparts and away-from-home occasions, with the quarter’s gain concentrated at home — in-home energy drink occasions rose to 1.7% of the total, matching a high last reached in 2022.

The gains track with what’s showing up on menus. Energy drink penetration has grown 62% over the past four years and is projected to grow another 30% over the next four, according to Datassential’s Menu Trends platform. Sports drinks have grown 33% over the same span, with 21% more growth projected. 

Operators are moving on the momentum. McDonald’s added its first energy drink to the menu this month, the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer, a layered drink made with Red Bull, blue raspberry flavoring and freeze-dried dragonfruit. 7 Brew, meanwhile, recently began testing a dairy-free liquid collagen boost that adds 15 grams of protein to any drink on its menu.