Specialty coffee consumption in the US hits a 14-year high

Budgets may be tighter but that has not stopped Americans from indulging in specialty coffee as consumption has hit 14-year high.

According to the National Coffee Association’s (NCA) Specialty Coffee Report, 46% of American adults had specialty coffee in the past day, up 84% since 2011 and surpassing past-day traditional coffee consumption of 42% (43% of American adults drank an espresso-based beverage in the past week).

Specialty coffee’s growth plays a key role in coffee’s overall popularity, with the NCA’s full Spring 2025 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report showing that 66% of Americans had a coffee in the past day — making coffee America’s favourite beverage. Despite economic uncertainty at the start of 2025, specialty coffee is sustaining at elevated levels with 55% of Americans reporting drinking a specialty coffee beverage past week.

The NCA defines specialty coffee as any espresso-based beverage (lattes, cappuccinos etc.); non-espresso-based beverages like frozen blend, cold brew, nitro; and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans/grounds.

The report, which draws on a nationally representative survey conducted by Dig Insights and released in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) on 17 June, reveals that 64% of 25–59-year-olds drank specialty coffee in the past week, more than any other age group. Specialty coffee consumption was lowest among those aged 60+ (43%). In contrast, traditional coffee is more likely to be consumed by the 60+ cohort compared with other age groups. While overall coffee consumption among those aged 18-24 is lower versus other age groups, the youngest demographic is more likely to drink specialty coffee (46%) vs traditional (36%).

Digging deeper into demographic breakdowns, within the specialty coffee segment, 25-39 year-olds are the most likely to have had an espresso-based beverage (EBB) in the past-week — driven by cappuccinos (23%). A similar trend is observed in the non-EBB segment, where 25-39-year-olds drive consumption (39%). Cold brew coffee is particularly popular, with past-week penetration at 27%. Among those aged 18-24, frozen blended coffee (21%) is the leading non-EBB.

The report also found that past-day specialty coffee drinkers are more likely to have their coffee prepared out-of-home (35%) than past-day traditional coffee drinkers (20%). At-home preparation remains strong with 87% of past-day traditional coffee drinkers having their coffee prepared there, while 74% of past-day specialty coffee drinkers had theirs prepared at-home.

The Specialty Coffee Report further revealed that specialty coffee drinkers are aware of the health benefits associated with drinking coffee, with 61% saying they believe coffee is good for their health. This follows the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) “healthy” rule recently going into effect, which automatically qualified plain coffee to be labelled as healthy, for the first time. (In December 2024, the FDA redefined ‘healthy’ and for the first time it specified that coffee is automatically eligible to be labelled as healthy, in alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation that calorie-free beverages including coffee are preferred in healthy dietary patterns. See here.

Commenting on the report’s findings, NCA president and CEO Bill Murray, said, “Coffee’s remarkable ability to meet coffee drinkers’ evolving needs and preferences over time, is one of the many reasons it remains America’s favourite beverage. While specialty coffee’s rise in popularity has now reached record levels, traditional coffee remains a staple, too.” He noted that consumers’ interest in specialty coffee also coincides with a growing interest in health and wellness. “Decades of robust, independent scientific evidence has shown that coffee drinkers live longer, healthier, happier lives.”

Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the SCA, added, “These findings affirm what our community has long believed — specialty coffee isn’t just growing; it’s becoming a defining part of how people experience coffee today. From origin to café, consumers are seeking quality, connection, and meaning in every cup. Together, we see this as a continued opportunity to collaborate across the value chain to make coffee better — for everyone involved in its journey.”

The 2025 NCDT Specialty Coffee Report is available here.