A seller holds up a bottle of Casamigos, tequila from Diageo, the world’s leading spirits maker, as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on Mexico that could affect up to $1.6 billion in tequila sales, at a liquor store in Monterrey, Mexico, December 10, 2024.
Daniel Becerril | Reuters
The U.S. spirits industry maintained its market share leadership over beer and wine for a third straight year in 2024, even as revenues slid, according to new data released Tuesday.
Spirits supplier sales in the United States fell 1.1% last year to a total of $37.2 billion, while volumes rose 1.1%, according to the annual U.S. economic report from the Distilled Spirits Council, a leading trade organization.
That’s the first time revenue for the spirits category has fallen in over two decades. Despite a return to more typical buying patterns after a pandemic boom, spirits revenues have grown an average of 5.1% annually since 2019. From 2003 to 2019, the average annual growth rate was 4.4%.
“While the spirits industry has proven to be resilient during tough times, it is certainly not immune to disruptive economic forces and marketplace challenges, and that was definitely the case in 2024,” said DISCUS President and CEO Chris Swonger.
Tequila and mezcal remained a bright spot for the year as the only spirits category showing sales growth, as revenue climbed 2.9% to $6.7 billion.
Top 5 spirits categories by revenue 2024:
- Vodka: $7.2 billion (flat from prior year)
- Tequila/mezcal: $6.7 billion (up 2.9%)
- American whiskey: $5.2 billion (down 1.8%)
- Cordials: $2.8 billion (down 3.6%)
- Premixed cocktails including spirits RTDs: $3.3 billion (up 16.5%)
Premixed ready-to-drink cocktails grew double digits as well, but the category includes various types of mixed spirits including vodka, rum, whiskey and cordials.
The Mexico tariff threat
Mexican spirits and beer have grown more popular with consumers for over two decades, and tequila and mezcal sales outpaced American whiskey for the first time in 2023.
The road ahead for the Mexico-based products remains uncertain. The Trump administration earlier this month delayed imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico — which would include distinctive products like mezcal and tequila — by one month while tariff negotiations continue.
“These tariffs have wreaked havoc on our craft distilling community,” said Sonat Birnecker Hart, president and founder of KOVAL Distillery in Chicago. “Many craft distillers have expended great time, effort and resources to expand into international markets only to see their dreams shattered by tariffs that have absolutely nothing to do with our industry.”
Swonger also noted that tariffs would be a “catastrophic blow” to distillers and only add to the pressure higher interest rates have put on the industry’s supply chain, as wholesalers and retailers continue to deplete inventory buildups and cautiously restock products.
“Consumers were contending with some of the highest prices and interest rates in decades, which put a strain on their wallets and forced many to reduce spending on little luxuries like distilled spirits,” said Swonger.
“Our sales dipped slightly but consumers continued to choose spirits and enjoy a cocktail with family and friends,” he said.
