Top 10 fastest-growing spirits of 2025
Within the fiercely competitive spirits space, there are some high-volume brands that have leaped above the rest to achieve double or triple-digit growth last year.
Hot off the press, The Spirits Business has published The Brand Champions 2026 report, its annual ranking of the world’s biggest-selling spirits brands – those that have surpassed one million cases in 2025.
While the ready-to-drink (RTD) category dominated last year’s list of the fastest-growing million-case players from The Brand Champions 2025 report, this year was driven by whisky.
Whiskies from several regions saw a surge in volume sales last year, bucking a wider industry trend that saw supply outweigh demand.
Six brands in total delivered triple‐digit growth, including two from Global Spirits. Meanwhile, India’s Radico Khaitan also appeared on the list twice with two of its brands: Old Admiral Brandy and After Dark Whisky.
The lone RTD entrant this year repeated its staggering performance from 2024, prompting us to name it the 2026 RTD Brand Champion.
Rum was also present on our list with two brands recording impressive gains.
Below are the top 10 fastest-growing spirits brands of 2025.
The data is listed to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes were calculated on the full data supplied. All data is recorded in millions of nine-litre cases.
10. Oaksmith
2021 0.5m | 2022 0.8m | 2023 0.8m | 2024 1.1m | 2025 1.5m
Growth: 44.8%
Suntory Global Spirits launched its Scotch-Bourbon blend Oaksmith in December 2019, which was created specifically for the Indian market.
The whisky has grown steadily for the last five years, surpassing the million-case mark in 2024. With impressive growth of 44.8% last year, Oaksmith is now at 1.5m cases – not bad for a brand that only launched six years ago.
Created by Suntory’s chief blender Shinji Fukuyo, Oaksmith is a blend of imported Scotch malt whisky, Bourbon and grain spirits and is aged for at least four years in American oak barrels.
9. Fowler’s
2021 N/A | 2022 0.2m | 2023 0.5m | 2024 1.1m | 2025 1.7m
Growth: 54.5%
Also entering The Brand Champions ranks in 2024 was Ladoga-owned Fowler’s, which has grown from 200,000 nine-litre cases in 2022 to hit 1.7m cases in 2025.
It boasts several fruit-infused variants, including cherry, apple, orange and vanilla expressions – though these are classified as ‘whisky spirit drinks’ due to their 35% ABV. Meanwhile, its 40% grain whisky lands within the classification rules for a world whisky.
8. Amrut’s XXX Classic Rum
2021 0.1m | 2022 0.2m | 2023 0.4m | 2024 0.9m | 2025 1.7m
Growth: 90.1%
Soaring by almost triple digits last year, Amrut’s XXX Classic Rum was the eighth fastest-growing spirit of our Brand Champions report.
Its growth of 90.1% in 2025 was what cemented its entry into the million-case ranks, with the brand now sitting at 1.7m cases.
Produced by India’s Amrut Distillers, the brand’s growth led it to be named this year’s Rum Brand Champion. Amrut Distillers also produces Indian single malt whisky and gin.
7. After Dark Whisky
2021 0.6m | 2022 0.6m | 2023 0.9m | 2024 1.6m | 2025 3.0m
Growth: 92.9%
Radico Khaitan’s After Dark Whisky was a newcomer to The Brand Champions in 2024, when it reached 1.6m cases. The Indian whisky managed to report another year of double-digit growth, soaring by 92.9% in 2025 to reach 3m cases.
This 100% grain-based whisky was manufactured at Radico’s Rampur distillery in India. The brand targeted a younger demographic with the launch of its After Dark Blue Whisky in 2022, which is infused with Scotch malts and pure grain spirit.
6. Iconiq White Whisky
2021 N/A | 2022 N/A | 2023 1.6m | 2024 4.5m | 2025 9.5m
Growth: 111.1%
Iconiq White Whisky made a reappearance on our fastest-growing list, following its staggering growth of 181.3% in 2024, which put it in second place in our previous ranking.
The Indian whisky brand managed to record another year of triple-digit growth, skyrocketing by 111.1% in 2025 to reach 9.5m cases.
Owned by India’s Allied Blenders & Distillers, the brand has outpaced its stablemate Sterling Reserve whisky, which had a disappointing year (down by 23.5% in 2025).
5. Kenya Cane
2021 0.9m | 2022 0.9m | 2023 0.8m | 2024 1.1m | 2025 2.3m
Growth: 113.2%
The second rum to make our fastest-growing list is Kenya Cane, which surpassed one million cases in 2024. The brand had an impressive 2025 with triple-digit growth to 2.3m cases.
The brand is owned by East African Breweries Limited (EABL), which is majority controlled by Diageo. The UK-based drinks giant recently agreed to sell its entire 65% controlling stake to Japan’s Asahi Group in a deal that is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
4. Surfside
2021 N/A | 2022 0.2m | 2023 1.3m | 2024 4.7m | 2025 10.6m
Growth: 126.9%
The only ready-to-drink brand on our list, Philadelphia’s Surfside has seen huge success in its home market, the US. The vodka-based canned ice tea has also taken this year’s RTD Brand Champion title for the second year in a row, after growth of 126.9%.
According to co-founder Clement Pappas, the brand’s performance was strengthened in markets such as California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. It has also continued to invest in “lifestyle marketing” through music festivals and it now boasts more than 60 sports collaborations with the likes of the NFL and NBA.
3. Old Admiral Brandy
2021 3.8m | 2022 4.3m | 2023 3.7m | 2024 4.4m | 2025 10.9m
Growth: 147.2%
Radico Khaitan had a strong year with another of its brands among our list of the fastest-selling spirits. Old Admiral, which was this year’s Brandy & Cognac Brand Champion, achieved sales of almost 11m cases in 2025, up from 4.4m cases the previous year.
It is now the leading brandy in our Brand Champions report, surpassing Tilaknagar’s Mansion House and Global Spirits-owned Shustoff.
According to Radico’s president of international business, Sanjeev Banga, the brand’s top markets are India, the Middle East and Africa.
2. Pshenychna Sl’oza (Finest Wheat)
2021 N/A | 2022 N/A | 2023 N/A | 2024 2.1m | 2025 6.1m
Growth: 190.5%
As the sole vodka in our top 10 list, Global Spirits-owned Pshenychna Sl’oza (also known as Finest Wheat) was up by a staggering 190.5% last year to 6.1m cases. It’s impressive considering the brand only launched in 2024.
According to Global Spirits, the brand has seen rapid growth across European markets due to strong demand for mid-priced products. At the heart of the vodka is high-quality wheat spirit made from durum wheat, ultra-soft water, and a seven-stage filtration process.
1. Bell Rock Whiskey
2021 N/A | 2022 N/A | 2023 0.3m | 2024 0.6m | 2025 2.0m
Growth: 209.5%
Entering the million-case ranks with a strong showing last year was another brand from Global Spirits: Bell Rock Whiskey.
The American whiskey brand skyrocketed by 209.5% to take the lead as our fastest-growing spirit of 2025.
The Bell Rock range includes two blended whiskeys and three 30% ABV flavoured expressions: Apple & Honey, Butterscotch and Cinnamon.
Global Spirits said the range was ‘designed for modern consumers seeking something beyond traditional whiskey’ with the aim of being approachable and flavour-driven.
Related news
The best-selling local spirits Brand Champions 2025
