The latest numbers for spirit consumption in America have been posted by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and the big winner is whiskey, which grew by more than 6 percent from 2012 to 2013. The subcategory of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey did particularly well—DISCUS points to numerous factors, such as a growing middle class (more disposable income), successful branding (a story about the rich tradition of distilling American whiskey over the last two centuries), and globalization. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany are discovering bourbons—they all seem to have a hankering for brown spirits, less so vodka. That said, vodka still dominates the market with 66 million cases last year (versus 52.8 million cases of all whiskies combined). Still, it’s an impressive feat for a spirit that dominated the country from the early 19th century until 1976. You can find my full take on these new stats over at weeklystandard.com.
Photo courtesy of Koval Distillery.