Spirits sales surge for Berry Bros & Rudd

Berry Bros & Rudd reported 42% year-on-year revenue growth for spirits, as it opened its first store dedicated to the category this week.

Berry Bros & Rudd opened its spirits store in London this week (2 April) – the retailer’s first store to solely sell spirits – which houses close to 1,000 bottles from around the world.

The fine wine and spirits merchant said the opening was driven by spirits’ impressive sales performance.

Berry Bros highlighted Bourbon and most whiskies, plus sake, as the instigators leading interest in spirits, as well as the demand for premium products as consumers spend more on bottles.

Before the opening, Geordie Willis, brand experiences and creative director at Berry Bros & Rudd, said: “The growth in premium spirits shows that our customers have a huge appetite for beautiful and rare liquids and the selection has been carefully curated, to offer a truly exceptional range and experience at the spirits shop.”

To commemorate the opening, Berry Bros created an exclusive 26-year-old Bowmore for the store, with only 100 bottles available. Each retails for £1,000 (US$1,260).

Along with the 1997 Bowmore Single Malt, visitors will find bottlings from the likes of Cutty Sark, No.3 London Dry Gin, and more, among the almost 1,000-strong collection.

The store also features a Spirits Reserve Room that offers products from the world’s top producers and distillers, as well as exclusive single cask bottlings.

Additionally, the store will host weekly tastings, starting with its own spring spirits release on 17 April. Tastings from The Oxford Artisan Distillery (24 April) and Clase Azul (25 April) will round out the month.

The company was founded 1698 and is the UK’s oldest fine wine and spirits merchant.

In March, it also released its spring 2024 range, which included five Scotch whiskies, a Swedish whisky and a South American rum.