Exclusive: Tequila, Whiskey, RTD Categories Lead Impact’s “Hot Prospects” Spirits List

Every year, Impact honors the fastest-growing smaller brands from the wine and spirits business with its “Hot Prospect” awards. This year, a total of 64 brands from the wine, spirits, and RTD cocktail categories met Impact Databank’s criteria to make the list.

To qualify as Hot Prospects, brands must have achieved at least 15% depletions growth for 2024, while also showing consistent growth in the two preceding years. For spirits and imported wines, brand volumes must be between 50,000 and 200,000 cases, while domestic wines and RTDs are between 50,000 and 250,000 cases.

This year, 26 spirits brands earned Impact Hot Prospects honors. Agave spirits lead the way among 2024 winners, with fully half of the list—12 Tequilas and one mezcal—imported from south of the border. Whiskey is also holding its own, with eight winners spread across Bourbon, American whiskey, Scotch, and Moonshine. Vodka notched two winners for 2024, with liqueur, soju, and non-alcoholic spirits each landing one honoree apiece. In all, the 2024 Hot Prospects class totals 2.34 million cases, averaging more than 50% growth last year.

Hot Prospect spirits brands above 90,000 cases include Soonhari soju (Gallo), 1792 Bourbon (Sazerac), Lalo Tequila (Lalo Spirits), Corazon Tequila (Sazerac), Absolut Vanilla Vodka (Pernod Ricard), Traveller Whiskey (Sazerac), Tequila Ocho (Heaven Hill), The Original Pickle Shot, Flecha Azul Tequila (WES Brands), and Campo Bravo Tequila (Milestone Brands).

In the spirits-based RTD category, 10 brands earned Hot Prospect honors, totaling 1.2 million cases on more than 600% growth last year. Among them, only one winner was even present on the market in 2022, with all the rest being more recent launches. RTD Hot Prospects above 90,000 cases include Smirnoff Smash Vodka Soda (Diageo), Gin & Juice (Defiant Ones), -196 (Suntory Global Spirits), Bulleit (Diageo), Betty Booze (Alps Beverages), and Sprinter Vodka Soda (Calabasas Beverage Co.).

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 : 0196, 19=792, Absolut, Betty Booze, Bulleit, Campo Bravo, Corazon, Flecha Azul, Gin & Juice, Hot Prospects, Impact, Lalo, Original Pickle Shot, Smirnoff Smash, Soonhari, Sprinter, Tequila Ocho, Traveller

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