Sales of liqueurs in the last 12 months have hit their highest ever level, with 43 million bottles sold worth £1.3 billion, as UK consumers continue to expand their drinks cabinet and experiment with new cocktails.
Latest WSTA figures show that over the last year, 18 million bottles of cream liqueurs were sold, and 25 million bottles of non-cream liqueurs were sold – growth of 4%, as the category builds on its trendsetting 2018.
2018 could be seen as the year of colourful cocktails, perfect for Instagram, and this continued this year, as the equivalent of almost 10 million bottles of non-cream liqueurs were sold in pubs, bars and restaurants.
Whilst this summer wasn’t as hot in 2019, pubs continued to expand their cocktail menus and bartenders continue to innovate and create new cocktails.
Non-cream liqueur sales in UK shops and supermarkets over the last recorded 12 months (to 12/9/19) were up, too, and are valued at a quarter of a billion pounds.
When you add the recent sales boom in the off trade to sales of liqueurs in our pubs, bars and restaurants it shows that Brits bought the equivalent of over 42 million bottles of cream and non-cream liqueurs worth £1.2 billion in the last recorded 12 months.
Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said:
“Last year the WSTA highlighted that liqueurs have often been overlooked in the spirits category, but our sales data shows a renewed interest from UK consumers. The liqueur category covers an array of colours making liqueur drinks very instagrammable. We expect further growth in 2020 as Brits continue to experiment with new and exciting drinks choices and share their finds on social media.”
