Consumers are drinking less but better, Beverage Information & Insights Group reports
July 28, 2014
As the economy continues to expand, premium and super-premium distilled spirits are coming back stronger than ever, according to the Beverage Information & Insights Group’s “2014 Liquor Handbook.” The Norwalk, Conn.-based company reports that this premiumization trend means that consumers are drinking less but drinking “better,” which resulted in slower case sales growth of 2.2 percent, reaching 210 million 9-liter cases in 2013.
Timed with the start of the summer season and warmer weather, Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Suntory Inc.’s Sauza brand added a new Watermelon flavor to its lineup of ready-to-drink Sparkling Margaritas, which made their debut last spring.
In a hypothetical “Star Wars” scenario, Darth Vader could use the dark side of the Force to telekinetically shatter a glass bottle of vodka from across the room, for instance.
With many consumers lacking the tools or know-how to reproduce some of their favorite on-premise cocktails, beverage manufacturers have found a way to deliver that same enjoyment to consumers in their own homes.
When the founder of Bacardi, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, purchased the company’s first distillery in Cuba, he found a colony of fruit bats hanging from the rafters.
As one of the top-selling flavored malt beverages (FMBs), Mike’s Hard Lemonade has found a niche with consumers. Yet, Seattle-based Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. is not resting on its flagship brand and recently created new products to extend to new usage occasions, demographics and category niches.