Wine Fast Track Brands

FAST TRACK

SPIRITS FAST TRACK BRANDS( 000 9-Liter cases)

Don Julio Diageo North America 2,383 2,865 20.2 % Lunazul Tequila Heaven Hill Brands 1,266 1,743 37.7 % Espolon Tequila Campari America USA 1,368 1,578 15.4 % Woodford Reserve Brown-Forman Corporation 1,181 1,219 3.2 % BuzzBallz Cocktails Sazerac 805 940 16.8 % House of Cazadores Sazerac 833 924 10.9 % Biggies BuzzBallz Cocktails Sazerac 629 810 28.8 % Milagro William Grant & Sons 778 810 4.1 % Aperol Campari America USA 547 604 10.4 % Ole Smoky Whiskey Ole Smoky Distillery 395 410 3.8 % Gran Centenario Proximo Spirits 241 270 12.0 % Patron Reposado Bacardi USA 201 242 20.1 % Reyka William Grant & Sons 203 225 10.8 % Mi Campo Constellation Brands 161 211 31.1 % Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Brown-Forman Corporation 141 157 11.3 % Empress 1908 Gin Milestone-Brands 127 140 10.2 % Tequila Ocho Heaven Hill Brands 60 105 75.0 %

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.

FAST TRACK

This led to successful social media strategies built around the most recent Super Bowl, which took place in New Orleans.

“ As the Official Tequila of the Big Game, we broke category norms with an unexpected yet buzzworthy collaboration,” Harris explains.“ Through our partnership with Popeyes, we created a viral moment on social media and online by launching the Championship Lineup Menu inspired by the host city of the Big Game, New Orleans. This first-of-its-kind spirits and culinary fusion menu combined the rich heritage of Popeyes ' Louisiana-style cooking with the bold flavors of Tequila Don Julio Reposado, making an iconic tribute to craftsmanship and iconic celebrations.”

This is quintessential social media strategy in 2025: converting real-world moments into consumable digital material.

“ To tap into the celebratory nature of the Big Game, and spotlight our beloved Tequila Don Julio 1942 variant which has become synonymous with celebration, we enlisted DJs John Summit and Dom Dolla to take over Bourbon Street with a public performance,” Harris says.“ Brand fans, Big Game viewers and music lovers flooded the streets to experience the 30−minute set, which later took over social media and made headlines. Between the brand’ s partnership with Popeyes and our spontaneous pop-up on Bourbon Street, we remained top of mind during one of the biggest cultural moments of the year.”

Don Julio also ran impactful live and online programming around the 2024 Oscars, again marketing in the real and digital worlds simultaneously.

“ These moments aren’ t just about visibility, they also allow us to connect with LDA + consumers in relevant and meaningful ways,” Harris says.“ In fact, Don Julio saw net sales grow 62 % in the last six months of 2024, driven by the brand’ s ability to authentically show up in culture and meet consumers where they are.”

“ We’ re making a strategic, focused effort to seamlessly integrate our cultural programming into how we engage both on and off premise,” she adds.“ This means ensuring that every major cultural moment not only drives brand awareness and buzz, but also syncs up with our presence in both retail and on-premise environments directly at point of sale.”

Heaven Hill’ s Elijah Craig, which won an Established Growth Brand in 2025( no easy task!), found success online and with real-world events.

“ A multi-channel approach helped elevate consumer engagement and visi-

www. stateways. com Summer 2025 • StateWays 31