Brown spirits dominate growth of US spirits market
Growth slowing in flavored vodkas, overall spirits category, Rabobank reports
Brown spirits are leading much of the growth in the U.S. spirits market, with the segment growing 3 percent in the first four months of 2014, according to New York-based Rabobank’s latest global spirits report. More specifically, sales of Tennessee whiskey and bourbon expanded their already large shares, while flavored whiskey, rye, small-batch whiskey, and Irish whiskey and single-malt Scotch whisky maintained their impressive growth rates, it reports.
In the overall spirits market, bank analysts point to trends of softening sales, particularly among vodkas, which grew 2.6 percent year-to-date, Rabobank says. The recent softness in the vodka category appears to be driven by slowing growth in the flavored vodka segment, which suggests the flavor trend might be reaching its peak, it explains.