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The top 10 fastest growing spirits brands

Indian whisky and vodka were among the speediest spirits to achieve impressive growth in 2016, but which brands experienced the most rapid success?

We reveal the world’s top 10 fastest growing spirits brands

After being well and truly buffeted by geopolitical and economic headwinds in 2015, vodka has made a remarkable recovery, with the category representing four out of the top 10 fastest growing brands that have sold more than one million cases in the world today.

And while it’s not unusual for new names to grow quickly from a small base, both Ladoga’s Imperial Collection and Heaven Hill’s Deep Eddy possess striking brand power to triumph in Russia and the US respectively – two markets both crowded and challenging in very different ways.

Credit must be given too to the Indian whisky contingent. With Bangalore Malt Whisky topping the tree with emphatic 87.36% growth and Radico Khaitan’s 8PM not far behind, to see a sector that has faced both demonetisation and prohibition flourishing should provide a boost to all.

Click through the following pages to discover the world’s top 10 fastest growing spirits brands, listed in order of rising percentage.

Black & White

2016: 1.80m

2015: 1.40m

% change: 28.57%

The only Scotch whisky to appear on the list is the Diageo-owned Black & White, which leapt 28.57% to 1.80m cases last year. In the six months to 31 December 2016, the UK-based drinks group reported that Black & White performed particularly well in Latin America and the Carribean. Net sales of the blended Scotch grew 65% in Mexico supported by expanded distribution and activation across the on- and off-trade driving strong recruitment into the category.

Royal Challenge

2016: 4.70m

2015: 3.60m

% change: 30.56%

Owned by Diageo’s Indian drinks arm United Spirits, Royal Challenge added 30.56% to its 2015 figures in the face of the company’s internal conflicts with former chairman Vijay Mallya. In the group’s H1 2016 results, Royal Challenge’s net sales grew 28% despite lapping a strong growth following the re-launch in 2014. The brand was launched in the early 1980s, and is a grain-based whisky blended with Scotch malts and Indian malts.

Gosudarev Zakaz

2016: 2.38m

2015: 1.81m

% change: 31.42%

Described as one of the more “accessible” vodkas in the Beluga Group portfolio, Gosudarev Zakaz has moved into the two million case sales mark with a 31.42% increase in 2016 to 2.38m. Beluga Group, formerly known as Synergy, changed its name earlier this year as the company sets out to strengthen its position as an international business. The largest spirits company in Russia posted 16% growth in the first half of 2016, while its vodka brands – entry-level Gosudarev Zakaz, mid-range Belenkaya and Beluga with its reported 70% share of the super-premium category – have done well.

Cîroc

2016: 2.40m

2015: 1.80m

% change: 33.33%

Diageo-owned vodka brand Cîroc saw its million case sales increase by 33.33% to 2.40m in 2016. In the six months to 31 December 2016, the drinks giant reported that Cîroc’s performance improved from the first half driven by the success of Cîroc Apple in the US. The brand also performed well in the UK and Africa. Diageo continues its marketing activities with the recruitment of Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrósio for Cîroc’s On Arrival campaign. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead.

Ron Medellin

2016: 1.39m

2015: 1.04m 

% change: 34.20%

For the first time, Fabrica de Alcoholes y Licores de Antioquia has provided The Spirits Business with its sales data, showing that its Ron Medellin rum brand is the ninth best-selling rum in the world. The brand experienced an astonishing 34.20% growth in 2016 – the fastest growth rate among any million-case-selling rum brand. Made in Colombia, Ron Medellin is predominantly consumed in Latin America. Its core range consists of a 12- and eight-year-old expression.

8PM

2016: 5.65m

2015: 4.10m

% change: 37.80%

Our 2017 Indian Whisky Brand Champion, Radico Khaitan’s 8pm performed excellently in the last calendar year to reverse four years of declines and post remarkable 37.8% gains. Offsetting ­4.56% losses with resounding 37.8% gains, the product shone, with a considered repackaging key to harnessing growth. The new 180ml Tetra-Pak format not only offered “value for money”, but also made it easier for the brand to reach remote locations in the domestic market.

Deep Eddy Vodka

2016: 1.00m

2015: 0.71m

% change: 41.84%

This year’s Vodka Brand Champion, Deep Eddy witnessed a 41.8% uplift nudging the brand over 1m case sales. John Scarborough, president of Deep Eddy – which was acquired by US spirits firm Heaven Hill Brands in 2015 – told The Spirits Business that the success of its core expression and thoughtful growth of its flavoured offering contributed to the brand’s landmark achievement in 2016. This year, Deep Eddy will also focus on driving its new Orange flavour, as well as experiential marketing campaign, the ‘Dive in Tour’.

Aguardiente Antioqueño

2016: 3.57m

2015: 2.49m

% change: 43.71%

Within the regional specialities category, Aguardiente Antioqueño saw the fastest growth in 2017, up by a phenomenal 43.71% last year. Owner Fábrica de Alcoholes y Licores de Antioquia shared its results with The Spirits Business for the first time this year. This particular Aguardiente –  a sugar cane spirit made in a similar fashion to rum – boasts flavours of black liquorice, peppercorn, and vanilla. While Antioqueno is the best-selling Aguardiente in Colombia, it is yet to repeat its glory days of 2012, when the brand boasted 4.37m cases.

Tsarskaya/Imperial Collection Gold

2016: 1.01m

2015: 0.67m

% change: 50.75%

Ladoga’s Russian vodka Tsarskaya/Imperial Collection Gold has showed the second fastest rate of growth in 2016, when sales increased 50.75% to pass the million case threshold for the first time. “This explosive growth is the result of a variety of efforts,” Veniamin Grabar, president of Ladoga Group told The Spirits Business. “In particular, volume exports of the brand increased by 37%, although, of course, Russia remains the largest market for Tsarskaya.” Earlier this year, the group unveiled a thinner and taller 1 litre bottle with a “modernised” design.

Bangalore Malt Whisky

2016: 2.06m

2015: 1.10m

% change: 87.36%

Surpassing the two million case sales mark, John Distilleries-owned Bangalore Malt Whisky witnessed an impressive 87.36% sales growth in 2016, taking it to 2.06m nine-litre cases. The brand hit the 1m case sales mark for the first time in 2015 – prompting The Spirits Business to name it Indian Whisky Brand Champion in 2016. At the time, Paul P John, chairman of John Distilleries, said: “Whisky is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in India. Quality coupled with a systematic sales plan has driven the success of Bangalore Malt Whisky.”

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