Wine Fast Track Brands

Wine Fast Track Brands

SPIRITS RISING STARS( 000 9-Liter cases)

Teremana Tequila Siete Bucks Spirits / Mast-Jägermeister US 1,005 1,110 10.4 % Campo Bravo Tequila Milestone-Brands 75 89 18.4 % Gran Coramino Proximo Spirits 68 88 29.4 % Penelope Bourbon Luxco 55 70 27.3 % 400 Conejos Proximo Spirits 51 68 33.3 % Heaven Hill Family Heaven Hill Brands 49 67 36.7 % Roku Gin Suntory Global Spirits 62 64 3.2 % Rebel 100 KSBW Luxco 43 59 37.2 % Widow Jane Family Heaven Hill Brands 39 43 10.3 % Mint Choc. Chip Whiskey Ole Smoky Distillery 21 40 90.5 % Midnight Moon Moonshakes Piedmont Distillers, Inc. 15 38 153.3 % Goodnight Loving Vodka Austin Vodka Company 24 38 58.3 % Broken Shed Vodka Broken Shed Imports / MHW 26 36 38.5 % Real Del Valle Tequila Tequila Real del Valle 30 34 13.3 % Patrón Cristalino Bacardi USA-- 32 ++%

FAST TRACK

Source: The Beverage Information Group ' s 2025 Industry Overview Handbook( p) Preliminary * Note: All figures are early preliminary BIG estimates of US volume consumption, subject to revision.(++%) Greater than 100 %.

don’ t even have to be new liquids. Upscale packaging works as well, especially when there are cultural and / or celebrity tie-ins.

“ Featuring the same tequila people know and love, Don Julio debuted the 1942 Year of the Snake Edition, which featured a custom illustration merging the Chinese Zodiac snake and the Aztec feathered serpent,” says Karen Harris, vice president of tequila, Don Julio, Diageo.“ The year of the snake represents transformation, and this limited-edition bottle provided the perfect opportunity for people to transform and elevate their Lunar New Year celebrations, bringing family and friends together to celebrate.”

“ Most recently, Tequila Don Julio announced its first-ever global collaboration for 1942 in partnership with world-renowned DJ, producer and culture powerhouse Peggy Gou with the launch of Tequila Don Julio 194�,” she adds.“ Featuring the same ultra-premium tequila in an exclusive bottle designed in collaboration with Peggy, the limited-edition bottle stands as the ultimate statement piece, pushing the boundaries of artistry and craftsmanship while perfectly embodying her signature aesthetic: a blend of high-end fashion and cutting – edge street style. Peggy has long been in the Tequila Don Julio family, making this the perfect partnership that speaks to both Don Julio’ s deep roots in nightlife and our shared love for Mexican culture and celebration.” Premiumization remains key across all tequila brands.“ Lunazul is launching a premium brand family called the Primero Collection, which will include a Plata, Reposado and our current Cristalino and smoked Humoso Tequila,” says Brittany Wenig, senior brand manager for this Heaven Hill brand that won a Fast Track award.“ This is intended to support the Lunazul consumer as they continue to explore premium tequilas and keep them within the family.”

NEW FLAVORS, INNOVATIONS

A common theme among this year’ s Growth Brands Awards winners, as usual, is a focus on innovation. With consumers eager to explore and try new products, presenting people with new options is often a winning strategy.

Smart companies have tied this initiative into their visitor experience as alcohol tourism continues to boom.

“ We are constantly innovating to make sure that visitors to our four distilleries always have something new to discover,” says Robert Hall, CEO of Ole Smoky, which took home two Growth Brands Awards in 2025.“ On average, we’ re launching one to two new flavors every month. In 2024 this continued with a range of new products introduced as distillery exclusives including: Sweet Tea Whiskey, Espresso Martini Whiskey, Sugar Maple Whiskey, Rocky Road Cream Whiskey, Coconut Moonshine and Lemon Cream Pie Moonshine.”

This is a solid way to hedge against uncertain times.

“ While Ole Smoky hasn’ t been immune from the broader headwinds within the industry, we were fortunate to have success with a number of our product lines last year,” Hall says.“ One of our unique advantages with regards to innovation is our ability to test products out on the more than 5 million visitors we have to our distilleries on an annual basis. We like to think of our four locations as the best test market in the country. Because we’ re able to sample new prod-

14 Beverage Dynamics • Summer 2025 www. beveragedynamics. com