Consumer Behavior in Alcoholic Beverage Choices and Food Pairings at Home: Contextual Factors Driving Preferences for High-ABV Over Low-ABV Beverages

This study investigates consumer behavior in home drinking contexts, with an emphasis on situational factors, food pairings, and preferences for alcoholic beverages. Using food diary data from 12,132 quota-sampled consumers in South Korea (March 2019–February 2022), 18710 records of alcoholic beverage-food paired meals consumed at home were analyzed. Binomial logistic regression models were used to investigate factors influencing preferences for beverages with higher alcohol content (above 16% ABV). The findings indicate that home drinkers were more likely to select high-ABV in the following contexts: (a) when paired with dishes featuring pork, seafood, or vegetables as the main ingredient, compared to beef-based dishes; (b) when paired with liquid dishes (encompass soup‐based or stew‐type soup) rather than non-liquid dishes; (c) during meals with larger group sizes (number of eaters present); and (d) on social meal occasions compared with regular daily meals.