Apple whiskey and lobster are one of the most frequently paired alcohol and food combinations according to Uber Eats.
The online food ordering and delivery platform just released their fifth annual cravings report; an extensive overview of 2023’s most popular, unusual and surprising delivery requests.
“Beyond lobster tail, it appears people also often pair apple whiskey with steak,” Marco Vita, senior data scientist at Uber Eats, shared with Forbes. “As the saying goes: ‘nothing tastes better than the thing you want to eat right now.’”
Vodka and ribeye were the top pairing of food and alcohol in Uber Eats’ report, followed by frozen margaritas and cheeseburgers, frozen piña coladas and chicken, as well as daiquiris and tamales.
Vita shared that the highest number of store orders on Drizly (the e-commerce alcohol delivery platform that’s a subsidiary of Uber) in 2023 include New York City, Washington, Denver and Chicago.
When it comes to midnight munchies, Pennsylvania State took the lead once again this year with the most late night orders (between midnight to 4 a.m.), followed by the University of Iowa, University of Illinois and Texas A&M University.
The cravings report also found an increase in zero-proof spirits, with dry months like Dry January and Sober October seeing a spike in non-alcoholic beverage orders. In January 2023, NA beverages experienced 75 percent growth compared to 2022 with top-selling NA brands including Seedlip, Ritual Zero Proof, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic, St. Agrestis and Ghia.
Another imbibing-related finding: the report emphasizes the decline in rosé imbibers this summer as their data shows a decrease in pink wine sales throughout the season, instead replaced by crisp styles of white wine and lighter body reds.
Aside from wine and spirits statistics, the report also serves up trends across the most popular delivery requests in the U.S., like “no onions” and “dressing on the side”; the most ordered items, topped by French fries, garlic naan and pad thai; as well as the most unexpected food combination orders, like “steak and jelly” or “butter and pickled onions.”
Uber Eats also released the 15 most unique delivery requests that include some unique messages and friendly correspondence to delivery workers on the other side of the screen, which can all be found in the full report.
