The world’s 10 best-selling spirits brands

While global spirits sales slowed in 2013, there were a few industry giants which managed to swipe positions as one of the world’s best-selling spirits brands.

Click through the following pages to discover the world’s 10 best-selling spirits brands

According to recent figures by the IWSR, the global spirits market experienced a “dramatic” dip in 2013 due to a slowdown in consumption of local Indian and Chinese brands.

Despite this, a large number of the world’s best-selling spirits brands are from the Indian whisky sector – without doubt one of the largest spirits categories in the world, boasting huge volumes.

Following on from our Brand Champions 2014, where the exceptional category performers are picked out from among the million case selling brands, we have been running down the world’s best-selling brands, category by category.

Using these figures, we are able to compile a list of the world’s best-selling spirits brands. However, this list is based in available data and is not exhaustive, since some spirits brands (notably Jinro soju and Tanduay gin) declined to disclose their figures.

Click through the following pages to discover the world’s 10 best-selling spirits brands.

10. Old Tavern

2013 case sales: 11.5m
2012 case sales: 11.6m
Growth in 2012: -1%
Last year’s position: –

Breaking into this year’s the top 10 best-selling spirits brands is United Spirits’ Indian whisky brand Old Tavern. Sales the brand experienced a slight decline in 2013, dropping 1%, but still reported healthy volumes of 11.5m. The whisky has not, however, managed to repeat the same success of 2008 when it saw its volumes soar 61%. In addition to its loyal domestic market, Old Tavern is also popular across certain African markets.

9. Bagpiper

2013 case sales: 11.6m
2012 case sales: 14.0m
Growth in 2012: -17%
Last year’s position: 10

Another United Spirits-owned Indian whisky which has some of the largest volume sales across the globe is Bagpiper. Despite witnessing substantial declines since 2010, the brand has managed to jump one spot to the world’s 9th best-selling spirits brand. Launched by Herbertson’s in 1979, Bagpiper whisky is described as the Indian company’s “legendary flagship brand”, which became its first ever label to sell a million cases.

8. Royal Stag

2013 case sales: 14.7m
2012 case sales: 13.9m
Growth in 2012: 6%
Last year’s position: –

Also stepping into this year’s list is Pernod Ricard’s Indian whisky brand Royal Stag, which is also the world’s third best-selling Indian whisky brand. With its more premium appeal, Royal Stag has managed to retain interest in both its domestic and African markets as consumers increasingly turn towards international brands.

7. Pirassununga 51

2013 case sales: 17.6m
2012 case sales: 18.5m
Growth in 2012: -5%
Last year’s position: 7

Pirassununga 51 is Brazil’s top-selling cachaca brand out-selling both of its nearest put together. While the long-term decline of cachaca sales in Brazil – spurred by consumers’ growing preference for international brands – is also reflected in Pirassununga’s own on-going declines, the brand still managed to cling onto its 7th spot.

6. McDowell’s No.1 Celebration

2013 case sales: 19.0m
2012 case sales: 17.7m
Growth in 2012: 7%
Last year’s position: 9

Jumping an impressive three spaces to become the world’s 6th best-selling spirit brand is McDowell’s No.1 Celebration rum, a third entry for Indian drinks group United Spirits. This place is all the more significant considering the brand was the world’s 10th largest spirit in 2011. McDowell’s is the fastest growing rum brand among the million case sellers, moving even closer to the 20m case milestone.

5. Bacardi

2013 case sales: 19.1m
2012 case sales: 19.8m
Growth in 2012: -4%
Last year’s position: 3

Bacardi slipped out the top three world’s best-selling spirits brands in  2013 with a 4% decline in volume sales. However, competition is neck and neck between the brand and this year’s 4th place, meaning change could be lying ahead in next year’s results. However the brand’s position as the world’s best-selling rum brand could be cast into doubt if Philippine brand Tanduay rum discloses its results.

4. Johnnie Walker

2013 case sales: 20.1m
2012 case sales: 19.7m
Growth in 2012: 2%
Last year’s position: 4

Johnnie Walker retains its position as the world’s 4th best-selling spirit brand, shifting its volumes up by a marginal 2%. However, the brand loses its title as the world’s most popular whisky brand, and it is overtaken by not just one, but two whisky rivals. The Diageo-owned blended Scotch brand smashed through the 20 million case mark in 2013, making it only one of five brands in the world with such volumes, making it our our latest Scotch Whisky Brand Champion. 

3. McDowell’s No.1 Reserve

2013 case sales: 23.6m
2012 case sales: 19.4m
Growth in 2012: 22%
Last year’s position: 6

With a huge 22% increase in case sales in 2013, McDowell’s No-1 Reserve Indian whisky has sailed past its previous 6th position to secure 3rd. However, despite its impressive volumes boost, the United Spirits-owned brand failed to scoop the title of world’s best-selling whisky, beaten to the post by its nearest rival…

2. Officer’s Choice

2013 case sales: 23.8m
2012 case sales: 18.1m
Growth in 2012: 31%
Last year’s position: 8

The huge 31% growth seen by Indian whisky brand Officer’s Choice in 2013, has allowed the brand to not  only be name the best-selling Indian whisky brand, but also the world’s most popular whisky brand and 2nd largest overall spirit brand. While only selling an extra 120,000 cases than fellow category giant McDowell’s, Officer’s Choice pushed sales a further 5.7m cases in the year, largely thanks to the growing popularity of “semi-premium” Officer’s Choice Blue, which launched in 2012.

1. Smirnoff

2013 case sales: 26.3m
2012 case sales: 26.1m
Growth in 2012: -0.7%
Last year’s position: 2

According to most recent figures, Diageo’s vodka collosus Smirnoff is the world’s best-selling spirits brand. In actual fact, HiteJinro’s namesake soju is undeniably the world’s top-selling spirits brand, since it seems near-impossible the brand’s sales could have fallen from 65.3m to below 26m. However, the brand omitted to disclose its figures, and so we cannot name them on this list.