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Gin, Scotch and rum to boost UK spirits consumption
Spirits consumption in the UK is expected to increase by one million cases in the five years to 2021, at the same time as still wine consumption is forecast to decline by more than 10m cases.
Spirits consumption in the UK will increase as wine consumption falls
According to a new report compiled by the IWSR and leading trade show Vinexpo, UK spirits consumption will hit 33m cases in 2021, driven by the popularity of gin, Scotch and rum.
By contrast, still wine consumption is expected to fall from 118.5m cases in 2016 to 108m cases in 2021. However, consumption of sparkling wine is expected to grow by 2m cases.
Premium spirits will “grow strongly”, while value and low-priced brands will decline. Per capita consumption of spirits is expected to remain flat, at 5.7 litres – suggesting new drinkers will be recruited into the category.
Vodka consumption in the UK will decline by 4.15% to 7.4m cases, while blended and single malt Scotch will rise by 1.2% to 6.2m cases, gin will grow 6.5% to 5.2m cases, and rum will hit 3.5m cases – a 2.4% increase.
The report also highlights the potential of American whiskey in the UK market, which it predicts will register growth of 4.2% to reach 2.3m cases.
In terms of global consumption trends, the IWSR and Vinexpo predicts consumption will hit 3.16bn cases by 2021, with ‘national spirits’ such as baijiu, soju and Indian whisky retaining significant market share.