TORONTO — Technology company Square has crunched the data from thousands of bars and restaurants across Canada using its tools and services to reveal the drink of the summer – the margarita.
The tequila-based classic is a favourite of Canadians coast-to-coast, with demand for the cocktail is up 57 per cent between June 1 and July 9 compared to the same period last year.
The second-most popular cocktail is the mojito. Despite coming in at a distant second, the cocktail saw growth in demand outpace the margarita, up 58 per cent over the same period in 2022. Rounding out the top three is sangria, which saw nine-per-cent growth in demand year-over-year.
“It’s not even close. We looked at [more than] a dozen of the most popular cocktails, and demand for margaritas in Canada so far this summer has been close to double that of the next most popular drink,” says Ara Kharazian, Research & Data lead at Square. “Summers are an incredibly busy time for bars and restaurants in Canada and they should take advantage of technology to drive sales and bring more customers in. Businesses can boost cocktail sales by offering consumers enticing discounts and promotions. Tools like Square Marketing allow sellers to leverage analytics to promote their offerings, while loyalty programs can reward long-time regulars and increase repeat visits by up to 40 per cent.”
