Not All Beverages Are the Same: Why We Built a Shots Flag

Introduction

Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing categories in the industry, but lumping them all together hides a lot. A 12oz sparkling soda and a 2oz energy shot sit in the same bucket on most dashboards, even though they target different consumers, carry different price points, and perform very differently across state markets.

That gap is why we added a Beverage Shot flag to Headset's metadata module. It splits the beverage category into two groups based on volume: “shots” (4oz and under) and everything else. The difference in how these formats perform — and how much that performance varies by state — is worth paying attention to.

The National Picture

Across all tracked US markets over the last six months, non-shot beverages account for about 64% of total beverage sales and 69% of units sold. Shots make up roughly 31% of sales on 28% of units, with the remaining share unclassified (dissolvable powders, teabags, etc.)

The pricing split is notable. Shots average $8.88 per item compared to $7.29 for larger-format beverages. Consumers are paying a premium per ounce for the smaller format, which makes sense given the convenience factor and the typical use case - a fast, discreet, high-potency experience.

Year over year, both formats are growing, but at different rates. Non-shot beverages are up 15.2% in sales, while shots are roughly flat at -1.1%. That divergence alone makes the new flag useful. Without it, the overall category growth number (+6% YoY) masks the fact that one format is surging and the other may be stalling.

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California: Shots Are a Small Slice

In California, shots account for just 17% of beverage sales and about 18% of units. The market is dominated by larger-format beverages, which hold over 80% share across both metrics. Only 20 distinct brands are selling shots compared to 34 in the non-shot space.

Pricing in California is tighter between the two formats — $7.01 for shots vs. $7.26 for non-shots — suggesting less of a premium positioning for shots in this market. Year over year, both formats are growing (shots +2.8%, non-shots +11.7%), but the gap in adoption is clear. California's beverage market is keyed in on large-format, sessionable products.

Washington: The Opposite Story

In Washington, shots are the dominant format. They account for 73% of beverage sales and 78% of units over the last 90 days — almost a mirror image of California. Twenty-eight brands are selling shots compared to just 17 in the non-shot space. Notably, Washington regulates cannabis beverage purchase quantities with limits on both fluid volume and total THC mg.

The pricing dynamic flips as well. In Washington, shots average $6.56 per item while non-shots average $8.89. The larger format carries the premium here, not the shot. A brand or retailer making decisions based on national beverage averages would completely miss that.

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Why It Matters

The shot format's share of the beverage category ranges dramatically by state. In some markets it barely registers; in others it's a major piece of the business. That kind of variability has real implications for brand strategy, retail assortment, and market entry planning.

If you're a beverage brand evaluating where to expand, the shots flag gives you a clearer read on which markets favor your format. If you're a retailer, it helps you understand whether your shelf space allocation matches actual consumer demand.

The Beverage Shot flag is live now in the Metadata module. Filter by it the same way you would any other attribute flag.

At Headset, we'll continue building tools that let you cut through category-level averages and see what's actually happening in more detail.

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