American adults are taking a page from their college days and pregaming before going to a bar or concert, as the price of drinks can now top $20, according to a report.
The inflated cost of a cocktail or a can of beer has become commonplace at a time when many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of necessities, including gas, groceries, rent and utilities, has also skyrocketed, leaving many people looking for hacks to save money.
Nearly a third of 1,000 people surveyed by Zappi, a consumer insights platform, said they pre-drink to avoid buying pricey beers and cocktails at venues. That’s the case for Julie McCarthy, who recalled pregaming with vodka in her dorm room before going out with friends.
Now 31, McCarthy has returned to the habit, telling the Wall Street Journal that she recently saw a tall can of black cherry White Claw being sold for $20 at a Massachusetts concert venue.
“I saw that and thought, ‘Wow, I’m really glad I pregamed,” McCarthy said.
Suntory Global Spirits, which produces Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, says it has seen higher demand for its miniature bottles, commonly referred to as “nips” or “shooters.”
“You’re seeing consumers gathering at home or a friend’s house before going out,” Suntory Globals Spirits’ Chief Executive Greg Hughes told the Journal. “They’re trying to stretch the dollar by pregaming. You can see that’s what’s growing.”
A cocktail currently costs about $13.61 on average across the country. However, in more expensive cities, like New York, it will cost even more, according to market-research firm Technomic.
Beers at the Big Apple’s Madison Square Garden, which hosts concerts and sporting events, can cost between $15 to $20. Cocktails at the iconic venue generally go for at least $25, but can be even more pricey, according to a recent Reddit post that prompted the original poster to defeatedly reply: “Looks like I’ll be pregaming elsewhere with these prices.”
Drinking at stadium events has become much more expensive over the years. While baseball fans can get a beer for as cheap as $6.17 at Yankee Stadium, the price tag has jumped up significantly over the years. In 1976, a beer cost just 80 cents, according to ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team.
High prices are also hitting other parts of the country. A cold can of beer at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., currently runs baseball fans $15.40. Meanwhile, a beer at Fenway, where the Boston Red Sox play, costs $10.79, according to a Yahoo Sports compilation of baseball stadium prices.
The cheapest beer at an MLB stadium in 2026 can be found in Colorado at Coors Field, which is where the Colorado Rockies play. Beers there cost $3.08. Also on the cheaper end is Angel Stadium in Los Angeles, where beers cost $4.62, and Chase Field in Arizona, where they cost $5.13 each, according to Yahoo.
Super Bowl attendees in recent years have also balked over the cost of drinks, which come on top of a pricey ticket. Drinks at the event in 2025 were being sold for upwards of $17, with one specialty “Voodoo Magic” drink costing a whopping $59.
Overpriced drinks aren’t just limited to sporting events and concerts.
Before going to see a musical on Broadway, New York resident Alexis Candee said she made a martini at home to avoid splurging on a $38 vodka soda at the theater.
She and her friends have also taken to having a nightcap at her apartment after a night out, instead of at a bar.
“In my 20s affordability was really the name of the game,” she told the Journal. “But that’s still the case now in my 40s.”
Alcohol brands have even taken note of the trend.
Brands like Diageo and Kendall Jenner’s 818 have started packaging their liquor in airplane-sized bottles so people can drink on the go.
Among Americans who say the high cost of drinks keeps them from hitting the bar or going to a concert, about 41 percent say they just drink water or nonalcoholic beverages instead, according to the Zappi poll.
Still, about 37 percent of those surveyed just pre-game to avoid the high costs.
