Global alcohol market forecast to exceed 2019 volumes within two years

A new report issued by the IWSR is full of encouraging news for the international beverage industry. According to the organisation's Drinks Market Analysis, the value of global alcohol sales grew 12% last year to reach US$1.17 trillion, while volume rose by a more modest 3% in 2021.

Wine may be starting to score with football

Football is a global sport with a greater following than any political movement or religion (probably). According to Statista, more than a billion people tuned in to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final. The official beer partner of that tournament, held in Russia, was Budweiser, and its bold American iconography could be seen the world over.

Fizz and cocktails set to pop this Jubilee weekend as the less-but-better trend continues

Brits drink less alcohol than they did during the past two Jubilee celebrations – a trend which is likely to carry over this weekend as party planners fill shelves and ice boxes. However, wine and spirits have a greater share of that pie, as the two categories steal a march from the once all-powerful beer category.

New report shows that wine brand equity is stabilising after Covid

Building on feedback from over 400 million wine drinkers globally, the Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index reveals a stabilisation of wine brand equity, following the steep erosion of brand equity seen in 2021 amidst Covid disruptions.

Multiplying out

In the first of a regular look at the multiples, Andrew Catchpole sizes up the general health of the sector.

UK importer launches distribution service for canned wines

Propeller, the hybrid importer founded by Jamie Wynne-Griffiths in 2020, is embracing new formats with the launch of The Can Collective.

Demand for no and low products becoming ‘year round phenomenon’

The demand for no/low alcohol brands surged across key global markets in 2021, with consumer interest no longer confined to seasonal trends like Dry January.

Sparkling wine delivered bumper Christmas sales

The sparkling wine category was the clear winner of the Christmas retail bonanza, with both merchants and analysts reporting bumper sales.

Online uplift to grow

Ecommerce is to remain a key driver of value growth in global alcoholic drinks markets, with wine to the fore. Andrew Catchpole reports.

IWSR report: E-commerce to grow exponentially in three years

The total value of the e-commerce sector in headline markets is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate between 2022-2025, according to the IWSR.

Sustaining Spain

As world leaders in sustainable and organic practices, Spanish winemakers are also discovering the benefits in the bottle, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Christmas 2021: An optimistic appraisal

The British tabloids have spoken: Christmas 2021 is unlikely to yield much festive cheer. Unfortunately, this isn’t simply press hyperbole – the UK’s food industry is under enormous pressure, while retail supply chains continue to be stymied by a lack of HGV drivers.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released a set of data in September which confirmed that the on-trade staffing crisis has not abated. “Sourcing staff has been one of our biggest challenges since we reopened,” says Avinash Shashidhara, head chef at Pali Hill restaurant in London.

RTDs continue to grow boosted by hard seltzers and FABs

The market for ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol products continues to show traction and demand from consumers, according to a new study from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

Seltzers: Hard at work

The big news from the US is that hard seltzers’ meteoric rise is finally levelling off. Jo Gilbert looks at the category’s trajectory in the UK and how it is piggybacking off the success of canned products.

Lockdown accelerated Champagne's growth in mainland China

Demand for Champagne has risen dramatically in mainland China over the past 12 months, according to market expert Lei Meng.

Premium spirits: Paying the price of lockdown

Trivento takes the top spot for Argentine wine

Concha y Toro's Trivento is celebrating becoming the leading Argentine wine brand in the world, with sales of over US$256.2m a year according to a new report from the IWSR.

Positive thinking

While the past year has been extremely challenging for alcohol, there’s cause for optimism when it comes to recovery. Lisa Riley crunches IWSR numbers.

Online sales still booming

Sales of alcohol online have remained strong despite the fuller opening of the on-trade, signalling how buying BWS online has become a way of life during the pandemic, as Jo Gilbert reports.

Global alcohol consumption to return to pre-Covid levels by 2023

The global beverage alcohol market is showing positive signs of recovery and is projected to grow 2.9% in volume by the end of 2021, according IWSR research.