The world’s best-selling speciality spirits brands

Speciality spirits received a vital boost from the bitter flavour trend that has dominated cocktail culture in recent years – indicating a bright future for the sector.

These are the world’s top 10 best-selling speciality spirits brands

As interest peaks in the after-work aperitif and the popularity of the bitter cocktail trend takes hold, the likes of the Negroni, Aperol Spritz and variations on the classic gin and tonic have resurfaced on menus across the globe, paving the way for growth in the speciality spirits category. 

However, while large number of bitters producers reported steady single and double-digit growth in 2015, the anis category struggled; posting stagnant or rapidly declining figures.

Vermouth too was hit by a dip in volume – though one brand still managed to come out on top.

Due to a peak in popularity, regional speciality spirits have been kept separate and their result will be published in their own right on Monday.

Following our recently published Brand Champions 2016 – our pick of those brands selling more than one million cases annually that are performing exceptionally within their category – we run through the world’s best-selling speciality spirits brands on the market today.

Click through the following pages to discover the best-selling speciality spirits brands, listed in order of their nine-litre case sales.

7. Amaro Ramazzotti

2015: 1.30m

2014: 1.15m

% change: +13.04%

Place last year: 8

Despite being the smallest million-case seller within the speciality spirits sector, Amaro Ramazzotti was awarded the honour of Specialities Brand Champion 2016 for achieving the biggest sales increase in 2015. The Pernod Ricard-owned bitters brand rebounded from a 12% dip in 2014 to post impressive growth of 13.04%, bringing case sales back up to the 1.30m marker.

6. Aperol

2015: 2.95m

2014: 2.70m

% change: 9.26%

Place last year: 7

Witnessing consistant gains year-on-year, it seems nothing can interfere with the success and rising popularity of Gruppo Campari’s Italian aperitif, Aperol. A storming success in every major European cocktail market as well as the US, the Aperol Spritz serve has quickly been cemented as a summertime staple. The brand was awarded Specialities Brand Champion 2015 – and as the brand seeks to further capitalise on its growing appeal with travel retail exclusive bi-packs and rooftop terrace pop-ups, it may well vie for the title in 2017.

5.Campari

2015: 3.15m

2014: 3.10m

% change: +1.61%

Place last year: 6

Up one place on the leaderboard from last year is Aperol’s stablemate, Campari, which boosted its volumes by 1.61 to 3.15m cases – the highest the brand has ever recorded. The Negroni continues to soar in popularity, riding on the seemingly unstoppable wave that is the bitter cocktail trend, which in turn has established Campari as a classic cocktail staple. Its success was no doubt bolstered by the 2016 Campari Calendar, starring Hollywood actress Kate Hudson as two separate characters in the brand’s BitterSweet campaign.

4. Ricard

2015: 4.80m

2014: 4.77m

% change: +0.63%

Place last year: 5

Pernod Ricard’s only remaining million-case selling anis brand (Pastis 51 failed to make the leader board this year), Ricard managed to claw back a marginal amount of growth after suffering a 1% dip in 2014. The brand has some way to go until it reaches the 6m+ cases it reported back in 2011, but considering Ricard doesn’t seem to be much of a priority for the group, securing stable volumes is somewhat of a feat.

3. Fernet Branca

2015: 5.27m

2014: 5.15m

% change: +2.33%

Place last year: 4

In what seems to be a running theme in the speciality spirits leader board: Fratelli Branca-owned Fernet Branca also reported its highest volume in recent years. Witnessing modest growth of 2.33% with no definitive marketing campaign or strategy, the brand’s volume has no doubt been bolstered (at least in part) by the surge in popularity in the bitter cocktail trend. A long-standing bartender staple; the bitter herbal liqueur was invented in Milan, Italy back in 1845.

2. Jägermeister 

2015: 6.90m

2014: 6.80m

% change: +1.47%

Place last year: 3

A combination of Mast Jägermeister’s acquisition of its US importer Sidney Frank, the launch of its “biggest ever” UK investment, and increased global presence saw the liqueur brand turn its fortunes around from the 6% decline posted in 2014. Jägermeister’s success is likely to continue if it keeps up this innovative streak – so far in 2016, the herbal liqueur brand has unveiled its “most significant” change to date with a new bottle design, appointed a new Mast-Jägermeister CEO, and maximises its marketing potential  – even hosting the “world’s first” gig on land, sea and air.

1. Martini Vermouth

2015: 9.37m

2014: 9.94m

% change: -5.73%

Place last year: –

That’s right – despite being the only expression in its category to dip in volume, Martini Vermouth is officially the best-selling speciality spirit in the world. The brand has been gradually losing momentum annually, losing a whopping 3.19m cases since 2011, but steps have been put into place in 2016 in a bid to bounce back as part of Bacardi’s recent shake-up. In March, the group redesigned Martini’s entire vermouth and sparkling wine portfolio and committed to doubling its media spend over the next year, and in April the brand launched a global advertising campaign. It will be interesting to see if Bacardi’s aggressive strategy pays off.