Booze Still a Good Bet

2014 was a good year for alcohol sales, showing an increase in beer, wine and spirits categories.

February 05, 2015

ARLINGTON, Va. – As other economic indicators fluctuate wildly from month to month, one seeming constant is that America's thirst for alcohol — be it brewed or distilled — remains unquenched. According to a USA Today article this week, beer, spirits and wine all showed growth last year, with the biggest jump coming for the hard stuff.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. reported this week that overall sales of liquor rose 4% to $23.1 billion in 2014, while volume gained 2.2% to 210 million cases, continuing a trend that began in 2000.

"Consumer interest in industry innovations and premium products from distilled spirits producers of all sizes contributed to another year of steady growth in 2014," said Peter Cressy, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, in a press release. "In the U.S. market, strong consumer interest in cocktails, along with continuing market access and modernization improvements, is providing the industry with a solid base for future growth."

Whiskies in particular, had a great year, with bourbon and Tennessee whiskey volume increasing 7.4%, and Irish whiskey and single malt Scotch showing growth rates of 9.1% and 6.4%, respectively. Much of the impetus for whiskey’s growth can be attributed to its increasing appeal among the younger crowd, industry veteran and co-producer of the Chicago Independent Spirits Expo Martin Duffy told USA Today.

And, after several years of declines, the beer business is also showing signs of life. USA Today cites the latest estimates from Beer Marketer's Insights, showing that volume was up just under 1% last year to 209.2 million 31-gallon barrels. (That figure also includes the far-faster growing cider category.)

In wine, Americans consumed 321.1 million cases in 2014, up from 312.5 million the year before, according to trade group Vinexpo, which released its annual numbers earlier this week. This category has seen steady growth in this market for decades even as it stagnates in some other developed countries. (For more on how wine can be a boost for your inside sales, read “Modern Mixology” in the February issue of NACS Magazine.)

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