GROWTH BRANDS 2026- SPIRITS
RISING STAR
egies of another Growth Brand winner, Diageo’ s Tequila Don Julio, which earned a Fast Track award:“ Our approach is not just about visibility, but about building genuine consumer connection through culturally grounded storytelling and experiences,” says Karen Harris, VP of tequila, Don Julio Diageo NA.
“ Over the past year, Tequila Don Julio showed up across key cultural moments spanning music, fashion, sports and film. Cultural tentpoles and holidays like the Oscars, Super Bowl, Fashion Week and Día de Muertos served as an anchor to connect with consumers in meaningful ways through high-impact partnerships, talent collaborations and immersive brand experiences.”
“ A standout example is our presence around this year’ s Super Bowl in San Francisco,” she adds.“ Through the‘ Ready Pa’ l Show’ campaign, we tapped into the cultural energy of one of the most vibrant Latino game days in history. Partnering with talent, Druski and Young Miko, we brought Latino traditions to life through social-first storytelling. This was amplified by immersive, on-the-ground experiences, from a kickoff event with a surprise Cardi B performance to a Mission District trolley takeover and taqueria pop-up with Diplo.”
DIFFERENT FORMATS
One trend that has taken off in recent time is the rise of alternative formats.
Consumers are no longer looking for 750−ml. containers as the only size for their favorite spirits. For a variety of reasons, folks increasingly now buy smaller and larger bottles.
“ Our customers and team had been asking for a 375−ml. size,” says Paul Criscuolo, president, Broken Shed Vodka, which won a Rising Star award.“ We launched the size in 2025 and so far, it’ s been well received.
“ Tastings increased velocity and when the brand was met with positive acceptance, and we focused on upselling the customer to the 1.75 L,” he adds. Reporting similar findings is Código.“ Smaller formats have been a major success for us as consumers continue to explore the category,” says Ibarguen.“ They provide an accessible entry point, inviting more people to discover Código for the first time.”
This is a strategy parallelled by many successful brands in 2025. Including Tres Agave, which launched two strategic line extensions in 2025: new 375−ml. Blanco and Reposado formats.
These“ aimed at recruiting new consumers, expanding usage occasions and strengthening the brand ' s roles in liquor and convenience channels,” Wohld reports.
Elsewhere in the Mexican spirits category,“ Ilegal Mezcal is continuing to lean into thoughtful experimentation, with a focus on new size formats and limited releases that speak to a more curious and informed mezcal consumer,” says Rexer.“ These innovations are designed to meet people where they are— whether that’ s trying the category for the first time or exploring it more deeply.” This was a common story for Growth Brands winners in 2025: " We’ ve also seen strong momentum with our smaller-sized bottles, specifically our 375−ml. format that’ s being driven by consumers being more intentional, whether that means managing spend, drinking more mindfully and choosing quality over quantity, or looking for something that fits a specific occasion without committing to a full-size bottle," says Jay Needham, global senior brand director for Tequila Cazadores & Agave, which is behind the Fast Track brand.
CONSISTENCY IN QUALITY
All the marketing and consumer strategy in the world will not matter, of course, if the product in the bottle is subpar. Quality and consistency remained core components of top brands in 2025.
“ At the core of our resilience is our commitment to craftsmanship and authenticity," says a spokesperson from The House of Suntory about Haku.“ We offer a uniquely Japanese perspective on vodka, using 100 % Japanese white rice and bamboo charcoal filtration to create a soft, rounded and subtly sweet profile."
“ Haku is produced at Suntory’ s Osaka Spirits & Liqueurs Craft Distillery, a site with deep roots in Japanese distillation. Drawing on decades of expertise, our artisans combine traditional Japanese attention to detail with modern distillation techniques. From the careful selection and polishing of the rice to fermentation, distillation, and our signature bamboo charcoal filtration, every step is designed to achieve exceptional purity while preserving delicate character.”
Lalo, like the fellow Austin-born vodka brand that now owns it, grew in popularity through sustaining a single, well-made product.
“ At Lalo, everything starts with our 80−proof blanco, it’ s our only core expression and it’ s the heart of the brand,” says González“ We’ ve always believed that blanco is one of the most authentic ways to enjoy tequila because it allows the flavor of the agave to shine, and that focus has paid off.”
“ We’ ve also started introducing limited-edition high-proof releases, which have been successful,” he adds.“ The most recent, the 2025 High Proof, stood out in particular because it was our first distilled-to-proof tequila. It comes straight from the still with no water added after distillation, resulting in an expression that cap-
10 Beverage Wholesaler • Summer 2026 www. beveragewholesaler. com