The company has successfully steering toward growth by investing ahead of the curve in high-growth areas , and taking a consumer-centric approach to product development and programs , he says . Here ’ s more from Tomlin on what helped Bacardi become Spirits Supplier of the Year .

What led to your success over the past year ? In the last couple of years , there has been an increase in desire for premium quality spirits for cocktails created at home , and now as consumers return to the bars . Brand recognition goes a long way in establishing a cocktail ’ s premium nature , and our brands like Bacardí , Grey Goose , Bombay Sapphire and others have always stood out on the back bar , and elicit deep brand trust and loyalty with our consumers .

Having a strong presence in high-growth spirits categories , such as tequila with Patrón and Cazadores , has also been fundamental to our success . Patrón has led the charge in tequila ’ s upward momentum , and we ’ ve experienced the highest volume that we ’ ve ever seen .

The ready-to-drink ( RTD ) or canned cocktail category is a space that we ’ ve continued to invest heavily in . We ’ re staying ahead of the curve with new flavors and variants that excite our premium prepared cocktail consumers , with a focus on natural , real ingredients and refreshing flavors like those in Bacardí real rum canned cocktails , Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic RTD , and Cazadores 100 % agave tequila RTDs .

Alexander Tomlin , senior vice president of marketing of Bacardi North America .

As the non-alcoholic or low-alcohol ( NoLo ) space continues to soar , we ’ re evolving our spirits portfolio within this category . Last year , we launched Grey Goose Essences as a new line of low-ABV spirits . We also recently introduced the non-alcoholic spirits Martini Vibrante and Floreale .

What challenges did you have to overcome ? From the start of the pandemic , we remained committed to our partner accounts by supporting them with innovative solutions and dedicated commercial resources . Our teams helped the on-trade to enable ready-to-go cocktails , create outdoor experiences , implement QR-code menus and more .

We had begun our e-commerce journey before 2020 and were ready to go as people ’ s desire to buy online was growing . Thanks to our ongoing partnerships with e-tailers and our distributors , we were able to leverage online platforms to communicate , educate and sell our brands with the click of a button .

In just the first months of the pandemic , what we would have expected in one month of sales , we delivered in just one week .

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