Distilled spirits sales in the U.S. rose by 4.5% in 2016
The distilled spirits sector achieved accelerated growth in 2016 with supplier sales up 4.5% to $25.2 billion, volumes up 2.4%t to 220 million cases and a seventh straight year of market share gains relative to beer, the Distilled Spirits Council announced at its annual economic briefing.
“The continued growth of the spirits sector clearly demonstrates that adult consumers’ taste for and interest in premium distilled spirits, across all categories, is trending upward,” says Distilled Spirits Council president and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. “Spirits makers continue to develop new innovations to appeal to a growing audience of adult millennials, and they are responding by purchasing and enjoying our products.”
Naasz cited recent public opinion research, which showed 78% of the public view the spirits sector favorably and a significant majority support sales of spirits in grocery stores, as well as equal taxes and the same regulations for spirits, beer and wine.
“Our sector is viewed favorably by the majority of the public, which also thinks we should be treated equally with respect to regulation and taxation,” says Naasz. “From a public policy standpoint, our goal is to continue to modernize the marketplace and provide consumers with the choices and convenience they seek when it comes to spirits.”
American Whiskey Boom Continues
American whiskey – Bourbon, Tennessee and Rye – continued to captivate U.S. consumers with volumes up 6.8% to 21.8 million cases and revenues up 7.7% to $3.1 billion. Several other spirits categories performed exceptionally well in the U.S. market including:
Cognac volumes up 12.9% to 5.1 million cases and revenues up 15.3% to $1.5 billion; Irish Whiskey volumes up 18.7% to 3.8 million cases and revenues up 19.8% to $795 million; Tequila volumes up 7.1% to 15.9 million cases and revenues up 7.5% to $2.5 billion; and importantly, Vodka volumes, which represent one-third of all spirits volumes, up 2.4%t to 69.8 million cases; revenues up 4.1% to $6 billion.