EXCLUSIVE: Impact Databank’s Fastest-Rising Vodka Brands In The U.S.
August 5, 2015While it’s no secret that the U.S. market’s vodka category has been under siege from brown spirits recently, it still managed to grow 1.5% to 72.6 million nine-liter cases in 2014, according to Impact Databank. Vodka remains the largest spirits category in the U.S. by a long shot, dwarfing second-place liqueurs by nearly 50 million cases, and brands across multiple pricing segments continue to make gains, even as some longtime leaders struggle.
Vodka’s strongest growth in the U.S. last year came from Tito’s Handmade Vodka (+54.9% to 2 million cases), priced at $20-$25, and E.&J. Gallo’s New Amsterdam (+44% to 2.9 million cases), retailing at $10-$15. Heaven Hill Brands’ Burnett’s vodka (under $10) likewise posted a double-digit advance, rising 11.1% to 2.6 million cases. The table below also reveals the sharp growth curves of newer contenders, among them Texas-based Deep Eddy and Serge Imports’ Exclusiv. All of the above-mentioned players earned Impact “Hot Brand” honors for their 2014 performances.
Among the top five vodka brands by volume in the U.S., first- and second-ranked Smirnoff and Absolut both struggled last year. Smirnoff was down by 3%, while Absolut declined by 7%. Third-ranked Svedka grew 3.3%, while fourth-ranked Grey Goose rose 2%. New Amsterdam surged into the fifth spot on the strength of last year’s 900,000-case gain.
| U.S. — Vodka’s Ten Biggest Volume Gainers – 2010-20141(thousands of nine-liter case depletions) | ||||||
| Rank | Brand2 | Company | 2010 | 2014 | Case Gain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Amsterdam | E. & J. Distillers | – | 2,915 | 2,915 | |
| 2 | Tito’s | Fifth Generation Inc | 365 | 1,975 | 1,610 | |
| 3 | Ciroc | Diageo North America Inc | 735 | 1,945 | 1,210 | |
| 4 | Burnett’s | Heaven Hill Brands | 1,520 | 2,610 | 1,090 | |
| 5 | Svedka | Constellation Brands | 3,270 | 4,080 | 810 | |
| 6 | Exclusiv | Serge Imports | 50 | 635 | 585 | |
| 7 | Platinum 7X | Sazerac Co | 495 | 820 | 325 | |
| 8 | Deep Eddy | Deep Eddy Spirits | 5 | 330 | 325 | |
| 9 | Taaka | Sazerac Co | 1,000 | 1,245 | 245 | |
| 10 | Three Olives | Proximo Spirits | 1,360 | 1,570 | 210 | |
| Total Top Ten | 8,800 | 18,125 | 9,325 | |||
| 1 positive growth required between 2013 and 2014.2 Includes flavors.
Source: IMPACT DATABANK |
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Tagged : Burnett's, Cîroc, Deep Eddy, Deep Eddy Vodka, Exclusiv, New Amsterdam, Platinum 7X, spirits, Svedka, Taaka, Three Olives, Tito's, vodka
