US spirit sales outpace beer for the second year in a row

In 2023, for only the second time in history, US spirit sales surpassed beer sales in terms of market share, per a new report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The first time this happened was in 2022.

However, if the two categories fought in a cage match, the winner would come down to the judges’ decision (and not a KO). US spirit sales last year accounted for 42.2% of the global alcohol market, while beer accounted for 41.8% – only a 0.4% difference.

Other takeaways from the report:

• Americans love vodka. Vodka was the top-performing spirit in terms of sales, raking in $7.2 billion.
• …and tequila. And whiskey. Tequila/mezcal sales increased 7.9% to reach $6.5 billion, while whiskey sales increased 3.8% to reach $5.3 billion.
• Ready-made cocktails are also on the upswing. The fastest-growing spirits category is “ready-made cocktails,” which saw a 27% YOY increase in terms of sales.

🍺📉 Beer, the decades-long undisputed US king of booze, is now like a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT – in lower demand. Americans are increasingly opting for liquor, or, in many cases, to avoid alcohol altogether. This past year saw the lowest level of beer consumed in the US since 1999, according to industry group Beer Marketer's Insights.