Interview: Bacardi’s Brian Cox On Revamping The Dewar’s Brand
Bacardi-owned Dewar’s is the second-largest blended Scotch brand in the U.S. at 800,000 cases, according to Impact Databank, out of global volume of 3.25 million cases. Dewar’s has global retail value of approximately $800 million. In recent years, the brand has leaned into premiumization and a series of upscale limited edition offerings to burnish its quality credentials. Next year, Dewar’s will unveil redesigned packaging across its core range. Shanken News Daily senior editor Shane English recently caught up with global vice president of Scotch whisky at Bacardi Ltd Brian Cox to learn more.
SND: How has Dewar’s been performing in the U.S. lately?
Cox: After several years of strong growth, Dewar’s is performing in line with the broader category, with notable bright spots including moderate share gains, increased profitability, and stronger rate of sale on higher marques.
A key part of that growth has been the success of our Dewar’s 12- and 15-year-old expressions, along with our “Double Double” range—a four-stage aging process series which has carved out a distinct space for Dewar’s in the super-premium Scotch segment. We’ve also seen a rebound in Dewar’s White Label performance across key U.S. Scotch markets such as Florida and Connecticut.
Innovation remains central to Dewar’s strategy. Most recently, we introduced the fifth edition of Dewar’s 19 Year Old The Champions Edition, created in partnership with the USGA for the U.S. Open Golf Championship. This year’s release was inspired by the iconic Oakmont Country Club and featured our 19 year old blended Scotch finished in Calvados apple brandy casks as a tribute to Pennsylvania’s apple-farming heritage and penchant for brandy.
SND: What can we expect to see in the near future for Dewar’s?
Cox: In 2026, Dewar’s will introduce the most significant brand transformation in over a decade: a total packaging redesign across the full core range. The elegant redesign will strengthen Dewar’s premium credentials, enhance visibility on shelves, and leverage luxury design codes to capture the attention of today’s premium Scotch consumers.
2026 also marks Dewar’s 180th anniversary. By combining contemporary design with brand heritage, this packaging evolution will not only elevate Dewar’s presence in both retail and on-trade but will also serve as a powerful growth catalyst driving brand desire, exciting trade gatekeepers, and accelerating recruitment.
Consumer testing confirms the strategic importance of this redesign: the new packaging significantly increases purchase motivation, brand recommendation, and perceived quality and value. Consumers view the design as more sophisticated and worth paying more for, directly reinforcing our pricing and premiumization strategy.
SND: How do you see the blended Scotch market developing in the U.S. over the next few years?
Cox: We’re continuing to see a clear shift in the U.S. toward premiumization within blended Scotch. Today’s consumer is more discerning and curious. They’re seeking quality, provenance, and flavor—and discovering that blended Scotch can deliver all three. That’s created a real opportunity to reframe the category, and at Dewar’s we’ve leaned into that.
Dewar’s continues to target the core premium Scotch consumer with positioning that reflects today’s expectations, avoiding category tropes. Aspirational yet approachable, confident without being overly serious, inclusive but never preachy, and sophisticated while remaining authentic.
In the remainder of 2025, we anticipate ongoing category and industry challenges, but we expect stabilization among the leading brands. The U.S. consumer will emerge from this period with more choice, better knowledge, and hence will become far more intentional about their purchases—seeking age statements, craftsmanship, and authenticity—and we’re well-positioned to meet that demand with our growing portfolio of elevated blends.
We’ll have more with Brian Cox in the second part of this interview.
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