Liquor before beer: Spirits beat brews in new market data

Producers of spirits have new bragging rights in the age-old whiskey vs. beer barroom debate.

New figures show that spirits surpassed beer for U.S. marketshare supremacy, based on supplier revenues, a spirit industry group announced Thursday. The rise to the top for spirit-makers was fueled in part by the resurgent cocktail culture — including growing popularity of ready-todrink concoctions — as well as strong growth in the tequila and American whiskey segments, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said.

In 2022, spirits gained market share for a 13th straight year in the U.S. beverage alcohol market, as its supplier sales reached 42.1%, the council said. After years of steady growth, it marked the first time spirit supplier revenues have surpassed beer — but just barely, the spirit industry group said. Beer holds a 41.9% market share, it said.

Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer’s Insights, a leading beer industry trade publication, said the beer industry saw unprecedented growth in the 1970s, growing at a pace of 4% annually. As recently as 2000, beer’s share in the alcohol market was 58%. Over the past several decades, beer’s growth has essentially been flat. Meanwhile, spirits have flourished.

Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, a beer industry trade group, cited data showing liquor has become 20% cheaper relative to beer in recent decades. “Price is a particularly large part of the story,” he said.

Another factor is advertising and marketing. Distilled spirits now advertise freely, something they didn’t do generations ago.