Master of Malt releases trends report with rum and tequila on the rise

By James Bayley

Published: 23 September, 2022

Master of Malt, the online spirits retailer, has released its Q3 report, providing a valuable snapshot into the state of the drinks industry.

With over 10,000 products and 6,000 samples, Master of Malt is a growing online marketplace with ample data. In its latest trends report, the retailer has reported a growth in volume across whisky, rum and tequila.

Whisky reigns supreme in the £30-£50 bracket, closely followed by liqueurs in the up to £30 bracket, from March to June 2022. Liqueurs are growing steadily, with sales soaring 39% from January to June.

READ MORE: African spirits group Spearhead announces $3million investment

From February-June, whiskies made up 12 of the top 15 products in the Master of Malt portfolio, along with two spiced rums: The Kraken Deep Sea Bioluminescence special edition and Depth Charge.

Rum now accounts for 11.3% of the total spirits category over 2022 Q1 & Q2, compared to just 9% in 2021. Within that, spiced and flavoured rum makes up 49% of the category, compared to 46.5% in 2021.

Coinciding with this trend is the rise in premium rum. 2022 has seen limited allocations of high-end rums sell like rapid-fire, with both the Master of Malt-exclusive Caroni 23-Year-Old 1998 Single Cask and the Foursquare Exceptional Cask 2 selling out within an hour.

This premiumisation ties in with the recent news that rum sales overtook whisky, reaching £1bn a year in the UK.

A spokesperson for Master of Malt said: “The key here is exclusivity. Limited runs have a certain allure to them, and we’re now seeing rum auction sites selling rums up to £3,700. So rum isn't just premiumising, but is moving in the same way as whisky and becoming a coveted collectors item.”

Continuing the theme of premiumisation is tequila.

Tequila sold in the price bracket of over £150 has grown 234% from Q2 2020/2021 and a further 102% from 2021/2022. This amounts to a total growth of 578% over two years.

The spokesperson added: “Sought-after brands like Clase Azul have minimal runs, but the thirst for top-shelf tequila continues, meaning other players have filled the gaps – namely Volcan and Casa Dragones. These releases do not have a limited allocation, allowing the luxury end of tequila to grow.”

Printer friendly version