And Drizly says that’s likely to double, based on previous years’ experience, as the holiday season takes off. Drizly sees Champagne, premium red wine, and high-end spirits as top sellers this year. In the past 12 months, Champagne and sparkling wine have accounted for 30% share of gift orders on Drizly and in December of 2020, Champagne was the top-gifted subcategory with 24% share of orders.
Whiskey accounted for 26% share of gift orders over the last 12 months, and while bourbon leads overall whiskey sales, gifters have been slightly more keen to opt for Scotch. Together, Scotch and bourbon have comprised 73% of whiskey gift orders this past year.
In recent years, many consumers have shifted from entry-level options towards higher-end, single malt Scotch whiskies, Drizly says. It expects premium Scotches like The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old and Lagavulin 16-Year-Old Islay Single Malt to be frequently purchased gift items alongside classic consumer favorites like Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Other whiskey styles, like Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky, have made the top 10 gifted whiskeys list for several years in a row and are poised to be popular as well.
Red wine has the highest share of sales overall on Drizly, it’s unsurprising that red wine is also a go-to item for gifters (in the past year, 14% of gift orders were for red wine). Prestigious, well-known Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons or Bordeaux blends like Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon rank among the most-gifted red wines year after year. In fact, five of the top 10 gifted red wines on Drizly hail from Napa Valley — and all 10 come from California.
Tequila has been one of the fastest-growing spirits categories on Drizly over the last few years and the spirit has accounted for 10 percent of gift order share in the past 12 months. Premium tequilas have seen particularly high share growth, especially when it comes to gifts.