Restaurant Sciences LLC, a Newton, Mass.-based firm that tracks food and beverage sales throughout the North American foodservice industry, reported that single-malt Scotches grew 3.1 percent in U.S. dollar sales and 3.6 percent in case volume sales in the three months ending November 2013 versus the same three-month period in 2012.

"Single-malt Scotch is a bright spot in the total Scotch category, which declined 2.5 percent in sales dollars in this same time period, and while the total spirits category itself softened 2.7 percent in sales dollars as well," said Chuck Ellis, president and chief executive officer of Restaurant Sciences LLC, in a statement. "The continued growth in single-malt Scotch shows the trend toward premium products is still strong."

One of the largest brand families, Glasgow, Scotland-based Edrington’s The Macallan brand family, led the way in growing single-malt Scotches with dollar sales surging 11.7 percent in this time period. Its dominant brand, The Macallan 12 year old, grew 11.6 percent, while the much smaller The Macallan 18 year old brand grew 27.5 percent. Another brand family, Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc.’s Laphroaig, also showed strong growth versus the prior-year time period with a 12.2 percent dollar sales increase.