Spirits

Latin America has been greatly impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in large part due to the closure of on-trade establishments and the percentage of consumers living on daily incomes. This briefing examines the expected reaction of…

In 2020, the global alcoholic drinks market faced a genuinely unprecedented collapse that proved to be far worse than the depths of the 2008 Great Recession while overshadowing every other major regional, macro or black swan event-driven crisis in…

Eastern Europe is still leading in spirits per capita consumption globally. Despite vodka continuing to dominate spirits, consumer taste preferences shift towards flavour sophistication. This drives other spirits, whiskies and brandy. Mid- and…

Spirits sales took a battering from Coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020, particularly in the on-trade, where closures and restrictions placed a dampener on this channel’s performance. While Latin American countries tended to see better performances in the…

Shochu/soju has been experiencing growth in the Indonesian market supported by the general rise in interest in Korean culture, and particularly K-Pop, across the globe. In recent years, there has also been more product variation available in the…

In 2022, enthusiastic bar-goers drove strong on-trade volume growth for spirits. The full reopening of nightlife venues drove the growth of Singapore’s bar and cocktail scene, as businesses saw a rise in reservations. Singapore has a world-renowned…

The spirits category has been greatly affected by the increase in ICE tax (Special Consumption Tax) for alcoholic beverages, which is a tax levied on each litre of pure alcohol. Since the spirits category has the highest levels of alcohol, it has…

Vodka continues to be the dominant product area in overall spirits, still accounting for close to 90% of spirits sales in total volume terms in 2022. This means that the dynamics in vodka generally determine the performance of overall spirits, with…

Total volume sales of spirits recorded a marked recovery in 2022, driven by the full reopening of the on-trade channel, as night clubs were finally allowed to reopen with no restrictions in March 2022. Although the shift in consumption occasions…

United Spirits continued to lead the overall market for spirits in India in 2022, being the local representative of global player Diageo Plc. However, the company witnessed a significant decline in volume share during the year, as it shifted its…

This global company profile assesses the performance of Diageo across the world, analysing the performance of its key brands, such as Crown Royal, McDowell’s No 1 and Johnnie Walker. It also looks at themes such as the importance of India to Diageo,…

Spirits in China showed different trends in total volume and total current value terms in 2023. Total volume sales declined both off-trade and on-trade, primarily due to the continued decrease in sales of Chinese spirits. Although the lifting of…

Total volume sales of spirits in Japan declined slightly in 2023, as a result of off-trade decline outweighing on-trade growth. However, not all categories saw falling sales. During the three years of the pandemic, there was a surge in the home…

Spirits in the UK experienced another weak performance in 2023, recording both on-trade and off-trade volume declines. Sales via the on-trade channel were negatively impacted by high cost of living and the desire among local consumers to save money,…

2023 was a difficult year for spirits. Despite experiencing a period of high growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, the category faced an increasingly challenging environment due to both consumer and industry dynamics. Supply chain issues and rising…

In 2023, traditional spirits such as vodka, gin, and whiskies continued to enjoy growth in Algeria despite an overall challenging environment for spirits. Consumers became more open-minded and increasingly inclined to explore new tastes and flavours,…

Sales of spirits declined in total volume terms in 2023. This stemmed from the combination of a number of negative factors including the end of the positive post-pandemic offsetting effect that boosted on-trade sales in 2021 and 2022. There were also…

Sprits in South Korea recorded a total volume decline in 2023. However, not all categories faced a negative performance. For instance, whiskies demonstrated robust growth, notably influenced by the behaviours of Generation Z of legal drinking age,…

Volume sales of spirits in the Philippines registered positive growth in 2023. This was within the context of a gradually improving economy, which had a positive impact on disposable incomes. Gin and rum remained the most important product areas in…

After strong growth in total volume terms in 2021 and 2022, sales of spirits declined in 2023 due largely to a further decline in off-trade sales. The decline in the consumption of spirits in Spain can be attributed to several factors. First, as…

Spirits sales exhibited stagnation in terms of total volume in Argentina in 2023, as consumers' purchasing power deteriorated against rampant inflation. However, some spirits continued to outperform, notably bitters, which hold the majority of…

In 2023, spirits in Belgium saw a strong decrease in total volume sales, faster than the downturn witnessed in 2022. The downward trajectory of spirits was informed by the dual, related impact of still relatively high inflation and strong pressure on…

Consumer demand for spirits witnessed a significant slowdown in 2023, marked by minimal total volume growth across the category. This trend was characterised by mixed performances among the three largest spirits categories. While whisky categories…

In 2023, the consumption of spirits in Bulgaria increased with volume sales rising well in on-trade venues but declining marginally in retailers. Current value growth was fuelled by price rises after a long period of stability. Nevertheless, the…

Spirits continued to show healthy growth in 2023, driven by strong performances in categories like tequila, vodka, and non-alcoholic spirits. The increasing demand for high-quality and innovative products fuelled significant new product development…

Spirits faced a challenging year in 2023 due to the complex macroeconomic environment, high inflation rates and low economic growth in Colombia. Consumers traded down between categories and brands due to lower purchasing power. Although the total…

Overall, spirits sales declined moderately in Denmark in 2023. There were substantial differences among the various spirits categories. Products such as akvavit, brandy, and cognac experienced the most significant volume reductions, while…

Compared to other alcoholic drinks categories, the market for spirits in Egypt registered only modest volume growth in 2023. This was due largely to its relatively high price point compared to other products, such as beer and wine, which made it…

Volume sales of spirits in Finland continued to fall in 2023, alongside a drop in per-capita consumption. Demand was negatively impacted by the rising prominence of the sober curious trend, which promotes a more mindful and moderate approach to…

Total volume sales of spirits increased slightly in Hungary in 2023. A small yet affluent customer segment, characterised by a higher level of knowledge about spirits and a discerning taste for quality, continued to drive the market for premium…

Spirits saw volume sales decline in Italy in 2023. Strong price rises and pressure on purchasing power had dire effects on demand for spirits through both on-trade and off-trade channels during the year. Indeed, consumers became more and more…

The average unit price of spirits in Poland rose sharply in 2023 due to high inflation, an increase in production costs, and a further increase in the excise tax rate by 5%. Although these price rises translated into strong growth in current value…

Spirits in Switzerland saw further double-digit on-trade volume growth in 2023, while off-trade volume sales returned to growth after a moderate slowdown in 2022. As a result, total volume sales witnessed a strong increase in 2023, following only a…

The challenging economic situation in the Czech Republic led to weaker demand for spirits in both the off-trade and on-trade in 2023. Czech households came under more intense financial pressure due to prevailing high inflation, with the price of…

The market for spirts in Vietnam posted a sharp decline in overall volume sales in 2023, in contrast to the buoyant performance of the previous year. This was attributable primarily to the elevated rate of inflation, which forced many consumers to…

While total volume sales of spirits in Bolivia increased in 2023, growth continued to be constrained by contraband trade. This was particularly the case at the off-trade level, which accounts for the lion’s share of consumption and where the category…

Spirits in Cameroon experienced a notably subdued performance in terms of volume throughout 2023. Inflation-driven price hikes significantly offset potential volume growth across whiskies, other spirits, bitters, and brandy, with the blended scotch…

In 2023, the influx of immigrants from Russia did not significantly impact vodka sales in Georgia, resulting in a subdued growth compared to the previous year. Consumption of spirits remained relatively constant, with distinct preferences observed…

Spirits in Greece posted a further, if slower, increase in total volume sales in 2023, notwithstanding the cost-of-living crisis taking its toll on discretionary spending. The increase derived from ongoing strong growth in on-trade consumption as…

Total volume sales of spirits in Hong Kong continued to rise in 2023, as tourists and expatriates gradually returned to the city, while an increase in the number of banquets hosted and public festivals, concerts, and events helped to drive up demand.…

Spirits achieved marginal volume growth in Ireland in 2023. While off-trade sales saw a sub-decimal volume decline, this was balanced by small positive growth in on-trade sales. This is supported by mixology trends, alongside the fact that cocktails…

Spirits saw a slight rise in volume sales in Israel in 2023. The locally produced spirits market has been growing in recent years. Milk & Honey (M&H) whisky won an international award in the World Whiskies Awards 2023 for having the World's Best…

Spirits was the only category in alcoholic drinks in Nigeria in 2023 to post positive volume growth although most categories recorded volume declines. With negative economic conditions, characterised by high inflation and low spending power,…

After a very strong 2022, the expectations from spirits producers, distributors and retailers in Portugal were very high for 2023. However, sales slowed considerably as Portuguese consumers were confronted by the rising cost of living, high interest…

White spirits in South Africa, as epitomised by gin and vodka, continued to record positive growth in 2023. Gordon’s Dry Gin aims to regain lost ground in gin by introducing two new flavours. Sunset Orange and Pink Berry have joined its other…

In terms of total volume sales, the spirits category was more or less static in 2023. As with other alcoholic drinks categories, current value growth was much higher as there was a substantial increase in average unit prices. Throughout the…

In 2023, on-trade volume sales of spirits in Australia reached 14.2 million litres, sitting just below pre-pandemic levels, as the channel continued to recover from the impact of COVID-19. The strong performance was impressive considering the tough…

Due to a reduction in celebrations and social gatherings, and the impact of inflation, spirits in Mexico showed a slight decrease in total volume terms in 2023, with on-trade sales seeing little movement, and off-trade sales declining. The national…

Spirits maintained positive growth in Pakistan in 2023, with whiskies in the lead. As seen in beer, Murree Brewery Co Ltd maintains its lead, being the dominant company in alcoholic beverages in Pakistan, due to the country’s stringent restrictions…

For the first time since 2020 at the height of the pandemic, off-trade outpaced on-trade within spirits in the United Arab Emirates, both in terms of volume and value growth. The channel was supported by the easier process of obtaining an alcohol…