Exclusive: Tequilas, Whiskies Lead Impact’s “Hot Prospects” Spirits List

Each year, Impact recognizes the fastest-growing smaller brands from around the business with its “Hot Prospect” awards. This year, a total of 87 brands from the wine, spirits, and RTD cocktail categories met Impact Databank’s criteria to earn honors.

To qualify as Hot Prospects, brands must have achieved at least 15% depletions growth for 2022, while also showing consistent growth in the two preceding years. For spirits, imported wines, and RTDs, brand volumes must be between 50,000 and 200,000 cases, while domestic wines are between 50,000 and 250,000 cases.

As in years past, Tequilas and whiskies lead the way for spirits Hot Prospects, with agave spirits and whiskies making up just under two-thirds of this year’s 33 winners. Vodka, domestic and imported, made a strong showing with seven Hot Prospects awards. The gin, rum, and liqueur categories also appear among the winners, with gin garnering three, rum two, and liqueurs one honoree respectively.

Hot Prospect spirits brands above 100,000 cases include Truly, Plantation, High West, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Uncle Nearest, Evan Williams 1783, Maestro Dobel, Wheatley, 21 Seeds, DeLeon, Licor 43, Blue Ice, and 818.

In the RTD cocktail category, including both spirits-based and wine-based brands, award winners above 140,000 cases include: Loyal 9, Surfside Iced Tea & Vodka, Tanqueray RTDs, Stateside Vodka Soda, Jameson RTDs, and Deep Eddy RTDs.

The full Hot Prospects list, along with comprehensive data and analysis, is featured in Impact’s September 1&15 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Tagged : 21 Seeds, 818, Blue Ice, Deep Eddy, DeLeón, Evan Williams 1738, High West, Hot Prospects, Jameson, Licor 43, Loyal 9, Maestro Dobel, Plantation, Stateside, Surfside, Tanqueray, Truly, Uncle Nearest, Wheatley, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

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