United States spirits drinkers are nothing if not loyal. The nation’s top 10 spirits brands dominated their category in 2022, accounting for nearly 30 percent of overall sales and a total of 81.2 million 9-liter cases, according to a report by Impact Databank. And in a group of industry leaders that have been established in this market for decades, a new beverage brand took over the top spot.
That’s right: High Noon, which didn’t even make the top 20 spirits brands list in 2020, has catapulted right to the top, with a generous lead in sales at 16.4 million cases in 2022. This indicates an 86 percent sales increase, reflecting the ever-rising demand for canned co*cktails. High Noon also released a line of tequila-based seltzers in early 2023 to appeal to the large audience of tequila drinkers, which will no doubt further propel their growth.
Speaking of tequila, no tequila company reached the top 10 list despite the agave spirit’s explosive growth in the U.S. In 2020, brands like Jose Cuervo and Patron ranked in at the 11th and 19th spots, respectively, while though the category continues to have its moment, this growth hasn’t yet driven any tequila brands to make the chart.
In the whiskey category, Crown Royal Canadian Whisky retained its popularity, while flavored whisky company Fireball had a 5.5 percent increase in sales. American whiskey brands Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam also maintained their status in the top 10 list.
Vodka still remains one of the most popular categories in the U.S., with three vodka brands making the top 10 list. Even though High Noon surpassed Tito’s as the top spirits brand in the U.S., the Texas-based vodka brand also grew in 2022, gaining popularity in Europe in addition to its footholds in the states. Tito’s experienced a five percent increase in sales, totalling 11.55 million cases and accounting for 14 percent of the vodka category.
On the rum front, Bacardi notably dropped a few spots from its 2020 ranking, falling from the fourth-most popular brand down to the seventh. Captain Morgan also went from eighth in 2020 to tenth in 2022, showing that other spirits categories are surpassing rum. Captain Morgan did announce they were reformulating their core Spiced Rum earlier this year, so maybe the shift in flavor profile will help revamp its appeal.
Check out the list of the top 10 liquor brands in the U.S. below.
| # | Brand | Category | Supplier | Total 2022 Sales Volume* |
| 1 | High Noon | Hard Seltzer | Spirit of Gallo | 16.40 | |
| 2 | Tito’s Handmade Vodka | Vodka | Fifth Generation | 11.55 | |
| 3 | Smirnoff | Vodka | Diageo | 8.75 | |
| 4 | Crown Royal | Canadian Whisky | Diageo | 7.20 | |
| 5 | Fireball | Flavored Whisky | Sazerac Co. | 7.15 | |
| 6 | Jack Daniel’s | Tennessee Whiskey | Brown-Forman | 6.78 | |
| 7 | Bacardi | Rum | Bacardi USA | 6.63 | |
| 8 | Jim Beam | Bourbon | Beam Suntory | 6.09 | |
| 9 | New Amsterdam | Vodka | Spirit of Gallo | 5.33 | |
| 10 | Captain Morgan | Rum | Diageo | 5.33 | |
*In millions of 9-liter cases
Top 20 Most Popular Liquor Brands in 2020
| # | Brand | Category | Supplier | Sales in 2020 (in ‘000 9-liter cases) | Change from 2019 |
| 1 | Tito’s Handmade Vodka | Vodka | Fifth Generation, Inc. | 10,353 | 17.8% |
| 2 | Smirnoff | Vodka | Diageo North America | 9,030 | 2.3% |
| 3 | Crown Royal | Canadian Whiskey | Diageo North America | 7,233 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Bacardi | Rum | Bacardi USA | 6,442 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Jim Beam Family | Straight whiskey | Beam Suntory | 6,358 | 9.5% |
| 6 | Fireball | Cordials and Liqueurs | Sazerac | 6,295 | 11.4% |
| 7 | New Amsterdam Vodka | Vodka | E&J Gallo Winery | 6,090 | 14.9% |
| 8 | Captain Morgan | Rum | Diageo North America | 5,590 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Jack Daniels | Straight Whiskey | Brown-Forman Corp | 5,205 | -1.9% |
| 10 | Svedka | Vodka | Constellation Brands | 4,730 | 3.9% |
| 11 | Jose Cuervo | Tequila | Proximo Spirits | 4,680 | 21.4% |
| 12 | Hennessy | Brandy & Cognac | Moet Hennessy USA | 4,405 | 12.8% |
| 13 | E & J | Brandy & Cognac | E & J Gallo Winery | 3,845 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Jameson | Irish Whiskey | Pernod Ricard USA | 3,580 | -3.8% |
| 15 | Absolut | Vodka | Pernod Ricard USA | 3,130 | -8.3% |
| 16 | Jose Cuervo RTD | Prepared co*cktails | Proximo Spirits | 3,085 | 34.7% |
| 17 | Evan Willaims | Straight Whiskey | Heaven Hill Brands | 3,004 | 7.7% |
| 18 | Malibu | Rum | Pernod Ricard USA | 2,734 | 24.7% |
| 19 | Patron | Tequila | Bacardi USA | 2,730 | 26.3% |
| 20 | Ketel One Vodka | Vodka | Diageo N America/ Nolet | 2,534 | 5.3% |
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FAQs
Vodka remained the top-selling spirit in 2023, while the second-highest selling category, tequila and mezcal, gained even more of a lead on American whiskey.
What is the most popular liquor in the United States? ›
It turns out that whiskey is the most popular type of liquor in most U.S. states, closely followed by vodka. On the other hand, tequila and rum, which are considered staple liquors, are less popular in many states. This means that there is quite a significant gap between whiskey, vodka, and other liquors.
What is the top alcohol sales in USA? ›
The top 5 spirits categories by revenue:
- Vodka sales nearly flat totaling $7.2 billion.
- Tequila/Mezcal sales up 7.9% or $476 million totaling $6.5 billion.
- American Whiskey sales up 3.8% or $192 million totaling $5.3 billion.
- Cordials sales nearly flat totaling $2.9 billion.
The 10 most-consumed alcoholic drinks in the world
- Liqueurs.
- Baijiu. ...
- Whisky. ...
- Vodka. ...
- Cider. Global market size in 2022: US$17.9 billion. ...
- Rum. Global market size in 2022: US$17.4 billion. ...
- Gin. Global market size in 2022: US$15.3 billion. ...
- Tequila. Global market size in 2022: US$14.7 billion. ...
Top 6 Liquors You Need to Stock Your Home Bar With
- Vodka.
- Gin.
- Tequila.
- Rum.
- Whiskey.
- Brandy.
Based on search results, water stands out as the most prevalent beverage in the American diet, constituting 50% of overall consumption, encompassing both bottled and tap water.
What are the top 10 alcohol states? ›
Highest Alcohol Consumption by State
The 10 states with the highest alcohol consumption levels in the US are New Hampshire, Vermont, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Maine, Delaware, Wisconsin, Hawaii and Pennsylvania.
What state drinks the most whiskey? ›
In 2022, Kentucky had the highest per capita consumption of straight whiskey at over 312 9-liter cases per one thousand adults. Straight whiskey is whiskey created by distilling fermented cereal grain mash, creating a liquor not exceeding 80 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and aged for a minimum of two years.
What are the alcohol trends in the US? ›
According to Gallup, based on data collected July 3-27, 2023, 62% of U.S. consumers aged 18 and older had "occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer." Since 2018, excluding data for 2020 (which Gallup did not record because of the coronavirus pandemic), this percentage has ranged from 60% in 2021 ...
Which alcohol brand sells the most? ›
1. Jinro. Soju Jinro continues to reign as the world's best-selling spirit, thanks to its ever-increasing volumes: in 2020, the Korean brand saw its sales grow by 10.4%, from 86.3m to 95.3m – surpassing the 90m-case mark with ease.
The top 10 percent of American adults, which equates to around 24 million people, consume an average of 74 alcoholic drinks each week. If you break that number out, that means they consume a little more than 10 drinks each day. The figures come from the published book “Paying the Tab” by Philip J.
What is the largest alcohol company in the US? ›
Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev NV/SA is the leading alcoholic beverages company in the US in 2021 by volume (FY2021). It is a producer, distributor, and marketer of beer, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks.
What is the number 1 alcohol in America? ›
Vodka is the most consumed liquor in the United States - and has been since 1970. Around 78.1 million cases of the spirit were sold in the U.S. in 2021.
What is the most consumed alcohol in the US? ›
Beer was the most consumed of the three categories, with Americans throwing back 6.5 billion gallons of suds that year alone. Wine and spirits were less popular, with 935 million and 680 million gallons consumed, respectively.
What are the 10 most popular alcoholic drinks? ›
The 10 World's Most Popular Classic co*cktails Guide
- Margarita.
- Cosmopolitan.
- Daiquiri.
- Gimlet.
- Manhattan.
- Negroni.
- Old Fashioned.
- Sex on the Beach.
Highest Alcohol Consumption by State
In New Hampshire, for example, the average person consumes 59.5 gallons of alcohol per year. Vermont follows close behind with an annual average of 49.4 gallons per person while Montana ranks third at 48.7 gallons per capita.
What is the national alcoholic drink of the USA? ›
Bourbon (whiskey), named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, is a corn whiskey aged in charred oak barrels. It was proclaimed the U.S. National Spirit by an act of Congress in 1964.
What is the most popular alcoholic co*cktail in the United States? ›
What is the alcohol free trend in 2023? ›
Are non-alcoholic beverages trending? The simple answer is, yes. The demand for non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails has remained strong throughout 2023 and should continue into 2024. Over the past two years, non-alcoholic beverages have been the third-fastest-growing category in the US.
