Exclusive: U.S. Spirits Market Projected To Eke Out 1% Volume Growth This Year
While conditions remain difficult across the U.S. drinks business, the spirits category is expected to continue its long-term upswing this year with a 1% increase, according to Impact Databank. That’s due to the rising tide of RTD brands connecting with consumers. Excluding RTDs, the spirits market would be projected to decline for the fourth straight year.
Despite the tough climate, four of the top 10 spirits marketers in the U.S. by volume have shown growth in control states in the year-to-date through July: Sazerac, Bacardi, Fifth Generation, and Stateside Brands.
Top volume player Sazerac saw leading label Fireball slip 4.7% in control states in the year-to-date, but that performance has been offset by growth across a number of other brands, such as Buzzballz, W.L. Weller, and Svedka, among others. Bacardi landed on the positive side despite a 7% decline for its namesake rum brand in control markets.
Fifth Generation has been boosted by 2% growth for Tito’s vodka in control states in the year-to-date through July, and its Lalo Tequila brand also continues to carve out impressive progress. Stateside Brands, led by 44% growth for its Surfside RTD, posted the largest gain among the top spirits marketers in the first seven months of the year with a 13.5% increase.
Overall, spirits volume increased 0.3% in control markets in July, while dollars slipped 2.2%. On a rolling 12-month basis, the category is down 0.6% in volume and 2.6% in value across control states, which account for over 20% of total spirits volume in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
The cocktail segment, led by canned RTDs, continues to buoy the spirits category, rising 20% by volume and 19% by value in control markets in July. Cachaca, cordials, Irish whiskey, Scotch whisky, and Tequila were also in positive territory for the month.
The on-premise showed similar trends to the broader spirits market in control states last month, up 0.2% by volume and down 2.5% by value. On a rolling 12-month basis, spirits volume on-premise grew 0.5% while value fell 1.7%.
On the wine side, volume and value declined 4.6% and 3.4% respectively in control states in July, with 12-month trends at -4.2% and -2.6% respectively. On-premise wine sales in control markets dipped 4.5% by volume and 0.4% by value last month, and by 4.4% in volume and 2.7% in dollar terms over the past 12 months.—Daniel Marsteller
| Top 10 Spirits Companies in the U.S. By Volume1 | ||||||
| Rank | Company | Total 2025 U.S. Volume2 |
Control States Volume Growth 2026 YTD3 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sazerac Co. | 43.4 | 2.2% | |||
| 2 | Diageo | 38.2 | -2.6% | |||
| 3 | Spirit of Gallo | 37.9 | -4.8% | |||
| 4 | Suntory Global Spirits | 22.0 | -3.6% | |||
| 5 | Heaven Hill Brands | 16.1 | -5.1% | |||
| 6 | Pernod Ricard USA | 15.3 | -4.2% | |||
| 7 | Bacardi USA | 15.0 | 0.2% | |||
| 8 | Proximo Spirits | 12.3 | -1.5% | |||
| 9 | Fifth Generation Inc. | 12.1 | 2.5% | |||
| 10 | Stateside Brands | 11.2 | 13.5% | |||
| Total Spirits Market | 310.4 | -2.6% | ||||
| 1 Includes RTDs. 2 Millions of 9-liter cases. 3 Year-to-date July. Source: NABCA and IMPACT DATABANK © 2026 |
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Tagged : Bacardi, Fifth Generation, Fireball, Lalo, Sazerac, Stateside Brands, Surfside, Svedka, Tito’s, Weller
