Imported spirits sales didn’t do quite as well in the four weeks ended Feb. 25, rising just 2.2% from a year earlier, on a 2% increase in volume, according to IRI data.
Domestic Brandy and Cognac sales fell 3.6%, while imported products saw a 4.4% gain. Domestic gin sales fell 2.4% as volume slid 3.2%. But imported gin sales rose 4.3% on a 5.4% increase in volume.
Domestic vodka was up 3.8% in sales and 1.4% in shipments. Imported vodka ease 0.9% on a 2.3% rise in volume.
Tequila sales – all imported – rose 8.4%. Volume was up 6.4%.
Mezcal soared a whopping 60.1% in sales from the like year earlier period on a 29.4% rise in volume.
Domestic whiskey sales rose 6.9% and volume was up 4.5%. Imported whiskey sales rose 2.5% as volume eased 0.1%. In the imported category, Irish whiskey was up 16.4% in sales on a 13.2% rise in volume.
Higher prices enabled Scotch to rise a miniscule 0.7% even though volume dropped 5.1%.