Market insights from the ProSpirits Report 2026
The second iteration of the annual ProSpirits Report has been released and shows the industry is ‘undergoing more fundamental change than expected’.
More than 100 industry professionals took part in the ProSpirits Report 2026, led by Geisenheim University in Germany under the instruction of professor Dr Simone Loose, head of the Institute for Wine and Beverage Business Research at Geisenheim University.
On the latest episode of The Spirits Business Podcast, Loose speaks to editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business Melita Kiely about some of the key findings for the report.
Also weighing in on the report are Paul Dempsey, sales and marketing director for Brave New Spirits, and Gernot Allnoch, partner of Mezcal San Cosme.
“There’s a lot of flux from the outside world, which makes planning not so easy anymore,” notes Allnoch. “You have to divide in several perspectives.
“What makes the situation so challenging? First of all, the global economic situation, or overall global economic situation due to the political circumstances. Fear leads to one thing, which is, at the end, less consumption.”
Dempsey has also seen this emerging. He added: “Consumers are keeping their heads down a little bit. In the UK at the moment, the price of gas for your car has gone through the roof. So people are just being more cautious.
“I was in the USA last year and the THC drinks and GLP-1 drugs are being cited as the reason for a change in consumer behaviour. It varies from country to country. There are challenges in every market.”
For Loose, she notes pressure particularly in the mid-tier of the market, regarding price point.
She comments: “We now also see pressure on the middle of the market, this kind of affordability is a theme going around. This is something which we haven’t had to struggle with for a while, but now the industry has to cope with that.”
The full findings of the report are available to view online at prowein.com.
The latest episode of The Spirits Business Podcast is available to listen to on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. It can also be accessed for free through Acast and via the link below.
The previous episode of The Spirits Business Podcast interviewed Eoin Bara, founder and CEO of Tipple, a digital distribution platform. Bara explained why he believes the distribution industry needs a shake-up and how Tipple is providing new ways to approach distribution.
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