The distilled spirits sector achieved growth in 2016 with supplier sales up 4.5-percent to $25.2 billion and volumes up 2.4-percent to 220 million cases. This is also next to a seventh straight year of market share gains to beer, according to an announcement from the Distilled Spirits Council. Specifically, American whiskey – Bourbon, Tennessee and Rye – continued to be popular among U.S. consumers with volumes up 6.8-percent to 21.8 million cases and revenues up 7.7-percent to 3.1 billion. Cognac, Irish Whiskey, tequila and vodka volumes all continued to increase in the U.S. market.

According to Distilled Spirits Council estimates, retail sales of distilled spirits in the U.S. market reached nearly $78 billion in 2016 and supported more than 1.4 million jobs in hospitality and manufacturing sectors. Council Chief Economist David Ozgo reported the spirits sector strong performance “resulted in market share gains relative to beer for the seventh straight year.” He cites the growth in American whiskey, creative cocktails, and local distillers generating excitement as reasons for market share growth.

“The continued growth of the spirits sector clearly demonstrates that adult consumers’ taste for and interest in premium distilled spirits, across all categories, is trending upward,” said Kraig R. Naasz, CEO and President of the Distilled Spirits Council. “Spirit makers continue to develop new innovations to appeal to a growing audience of adult millennials.”