Emperador brandy became the second-largest spirits brand in the world in 2013, according to the IWSR’s Real 100 ranking of the largest spirits brands in the world.
Global volumes of Emperador grew by nearly 2m nine-litre cases, while volumes of Thai spirit, Ruang Kao slipped back. However, the Emperador brand, whose owner recently acquired Whyte & Mackay, is still less than half the size of the world’s largest spirit brand Jinro, despite the number one soju brand losing volumes in 2013.
Eight of the top 10 brands are local super-giants, predominantly selling in their local markets, all of which are in the Asia-Pacific region.
The largest-growing brands on the Real 100 list are Indian whisky brands Officer’s Choice and McDowell’s, showing India’s growing thirst for Western-style spirits. Last year’s 7th-placed brand McDowell’s posted growth of 4m cases, moving the brand to 6th place. Officer’s Choice surpassed this, growing by nearly 5.5m cases to overtake McDowell’s and become the world’s largest whisk(e)y brand.
Johnnie Walker, the largest Scotch whisky, was also helped by healthy growth in India and South Africa. It moved two places up the ranking to number eight, closely followed by Celebration rum, which also jumped up two places.
Johnnie Walker is one of nine Diageo brands on the Real 100 list, equalling USL’s nine brands which include Celebration rum and McDowell’s. Diageo’s acquisition of a controlling shareholding in USL in 2013 means the combined entity has 18 brands in the list. Beam Suntory has five brands on the list after Suntory’s recent $16bn acquisition of Beam Inc. Pernod Ricard has 11 brands in the list with Indian whisky Royal Stag ranking highest.
Thai Beverage now has two brands in the top 10 as Hong Tong ‘liquor’ moved up with 13% growth. Bacardi fell from the top 10 as sales declined. It is the highest ranking of the four brands in the list for Bacardi-Martini.
With Bacardi’s departure from the top 10, only Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker are recognisable international brands, showing the continued dominance of local super brands. Sixty-three of the 100 brands on the list derive 90% or more of their sales from their domestic market.
Top 10 spirits from the IWSR’s Real 100 list
| Rank/Brand | Category | Owner | Volume 2009 | Volume 2012 | Volume 2013 | % change 2013 on ’12 |
| 1 Jinro Soju | Shochu/Soju | Hite | 67,361.6 | 67,710.1 | 65,660.0 | -3.0 |
| 2 Emperador | Other brandy | Alliance Global | 7,100.0 | 30,000.0 | 31,950.0 | 6.5 |
| 3 Ruang Kao | Other spirits | Thai Beverage | 31,900.0 | 31,500.0 | 30,870.0 | -2.0 |
| 4 Smirnoff | Vodka | Diageo | 23,909.7 | 26,117.6 | 25,751.3 | -1.4 |
| 5 Officer’s Choice | Other whisk(e)y | ABD | 12,277.0 | 18,705.3 | 24,164.3 | 29.2 |
| 6 McDowell’s | Other whisk(e)y | USL/Diageo | 13,040.0 | 19,273.3 | 23,291.3 | 20.8 |
| 7 Chum Churum | Shochu/Soju | Lotte | 16,773.0 | 21,273.0 | 21,814.0 | 2.5 |
| 8 Johnnie Walker | Scotch whisky | Diageo | 14,879.8 | 18,847.1 | 19,288.3 | 2.3 |
| 9 Celebration | Rum | USL/Diageo | 11,156.8 | 17,657.3 | 18,904.0 | 7.1 |
| 10 Hong Tong ‘Liquor’ | Other spirits | Thai Beverage | 6,500.0 | 16,375.0 | 18,500.0 | 13.0 |
Source: The IWSR Database 2014
Units: 000’s nine-litre cases
The full Real 100 list is published exclusively in the July issue of the IWSR Magazine.
