While the U.S. spirits market remains sluggish this year, the month of November saw a 2.7% gain in IRI/Circana channels, bringing the 52-week growth up to 1.9% for the period ending November 30, 2025. Excluding RTDs, the largest-selling brand at retail remains Tito’s vodka, which registered slight declines the past 12 months by both volume and value.
Among the 100 largest-selling spirits in IRI/Circana channels, only 15 registered gains the past 52 weeks, and 12 of the 15 were priced above $20 a 750-ml. Leading the way among higher-priced spirits is Don Julio Tequila, with a 14% gain by volume at retail. According to Impact Databank, Don Julio will become the largest-selling spirits brand overall in the U.S. by year-end in dollar terms, surpassing Tito’s.
The spirits industry is projected to register growth of just 1% this year, according to the 2025 edition of The U.S. Spirits Market: Shanken’s Impact Databank Review & Forecast, marking the 30th consecutive annual gain for the category—and propelling its volume to surpass that of wine for the first time in over 45 years.
Tequila remains resilient, and dealcoholized spirits continue to make a splash—albeit from a small base―but pre-mixed cocktails remain the primary growth driver for the industry. In fact, if not for the ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve sectors, 2025 would have been the fourth consecutive year of volume declines for the U.S. spirits market..–Juan Banaag
