World’s 10 largest brandy & Cognac brands

A staple accessory for the most famous of hip hop stars, the world’s largest brandy/Cognac brands have shaken off their association with the after-dinner drinks trolley.

More than a cigar lounge nightcap – the world’s largest brandy and Cognac brands

Once a spirit consumed by cigar-puffing gentlemen post-dinner, Cognac and brandy has gained something of a global following, with the biggest brand in our list selling over 10 million cases a year.

Nowadays the spirit is more often associated with partying hip-hop stars with whole bottles shared at star-studded nightclubs, while brand names frequently make an appearance in chart-topping songs.

Of course those brands preferred by cool hip-hop artists are owned and marketed by the big multi-nationals, but there is – as with most spirit categories – a huge collection of Indian-made brands comprising the bulk of this list.

As we prepare to publish our Brand Champions 2013 feature next Monday (8 July) – our pick of those brands selling over one million cases annually that are performing exceptionally within their category – we run through which are the world’s largest brandy/Cognac brands on the market today.

Click through the following pages to discover which are the 10 largest brandy/ Cognac brands.

10. Courvoisier

2012 case sales: 1.4m
2011 case sales: 1.3m
Growth in 2012: 8%

Beam’s Courvoisier has been pushing home the message that its range is suitable for mixing in cocktails for several years now, a concept that’s “fast becoming part of Courvoisier’s DNA,” according to its UK distributor Maxxium. Alongside the mixability message, Courvoisier has in the past 12 months been focusing on communicating the brand’s heritage through ‘L’Alchimie de Courvoisier,’ while strengthening its position in travel retail (Le Voyage de Napoleon) and its reputation as an innovative spirit, with the launch of Courvoisier Rose in 2011, C by Courvoisier in 2012 and Courvoisier Gold, a blend of Cognac and Moscato wine, also in 2012. Its work has paid off – the brand achieved 8% volume growth in 2012.

9. McDowell’s VSOP

2012 case sales: 1.9m
2011 case sales: 1.4m
Growth in 2012: 36%

For a brand that only launched in 2009, McDowell’s VSOP is the fastest-growing brandy/Cognac on our 2012 list, with a huge 36% growth in 2012. The United Spirits-owned brand is made from grape spirits distilled and blended with imported mature grape spirit. Despite also holding the McDowell’s name, one that’s undoubtedly familiar across the country, McDowell’s VSOP is classed as a separate brand to McDowell’s No.1.

8. Remy Martin

2012 case sales: 1.9m
2011 case sales: 1.7m
Growth in 2012: 12%

Rémy Martin is continuing to sail along slightly behind rival Martell, a position it’s held since 2009, although 12% volume growth in 2012 has enabled the Rémy Cointreau-owned brand to close the gap somewhat. Premiumisation of the Rémy Martin portfolio coupled with a renewed pricing policy and a healthy volume rise, helped the brand achieve a 21.5% increase in sales (value) for the year.

7. Martell

2012 case sales: 2m
2011 case sales: 1.9m
Growth in 2012: 5%

Pernod Ricard reported 25% value growth for its flagship Cognac brand in 2011, going on to achieve 2m case sales in 2012, an increase of 5% volume growth. Martell became the first imported spirits brand to achieve more than one million case sales in the Chinese market in 2011, where value increased 29%. Earlier this year Pernod Ricard announced a deal to acquire Cognac producer Le Maine au Bois, in a bid to boost Martell’s eaux-de-vie stocks  and production.

6. Dreher

2012 case sales: 3.3m
2011 case sales: 3.6m
Growth in 2012: -8%

This Brazilian brandy – the biggest-selling brand in its home market – has had a tumultuous year with volume depleting 8%. Having become part of Gruppo Campari’s portfolio in 2001, the brand has continued to increase its market share almost every year. In 2011, Campari released Dreher Cremoso – a brand offshoot combining brandy with Irish cream and chocolate – in Brazil.

5. Old Admiral

2012 case sales: 3.5m
2011 case sales: 3.2m
Growth in 2012: 9%

Old Admiral is the third million-case brand for Indian spirits group Radico Khaitan. One of the few spirits to continue achieving year-on-year growth relentlessly, even throughout the recession, Old Admiral has gained something of a following in India.

4. Honey Bee

2012 case sales: 5m
2011 case sales: 4.8m
Growth in 2012: 4%

United Spirits’ first entry in the world’s largest brandy & Cognac brands list is Honey Bee, another Indian brandy relatively unknown to most of the world, but the globe’s fourth most popular brand. With volume sales increasing by 4% in 2012, its popularity is showing no signs of slowing down.

3. Hennessy

2012 case sales: 5.2m
2011 case sales: 4.9m
Growth in 2012: 6%

The biggest-selling Cognac in the world is Hennessy, which continues to sell over 3m cases more than its nearest rival Martell. The Moet-Hennessy-owned brand achieved an impressive growth rate of 6% in 2012 to reach 5.2m cases.

2. Mansion House

2012 case sales: 5.3m
2011 case sales: 4.8m
Growth in 2012: 10%

Tilaknagar Industries’ leading brandy Mansion House is the second most popular brandy drunk in India, with high market shares in Kerala (78%), Kamataka (97%), Ponicherry (78%) and Goa (100%). Since the 1.7m cases sold in 2008, Mansion House has grown to sell 5.3m cases in 2012, making it one of the fastest-growing domestic brandies  this year.

1. McDowell’s No.1

2012 case sales: 10.9m
2011 case sales: 11.7m
Growth in 2012: -7%

United Spirits, not content with selling the world’s largest Indian whisky brand, also by far sells the world’s largest brandy under the same McDowell’s No. 1 umbrella – India’s largest FMCG brand. The spirits group reported this year that its McDowell’s No.1 brand sold US$3.8bn in 2012 across its whisky, brandy and rum extensions. At 10.9m cases, McDowell’s No.1 brandy is leaps ahead of its nearest rival Mansion House, despite a 7% drop in sales this year.