Britain's Biggest Alcohol Brands 2017: the new recruits

Five brands have been blown out of the top 100 in the past year. Expect more casualties in coming months as the supers continue to scrutinise brands’ share of shelf. So who are the new recruits waiting in the wings to take a spot in the ranking?

103 Maschio

Sales: £21.7m
Growth: +18.8%
A second prosecco brand looks set to enter the top 100 as Maschio storms up the rankings. Cantine Maschio Extra Dry – listed by Morrisons in January – added £3.8m. Its core fizz, which accounts for more than half of value, fell 5.8% in value and volume.

 

104 The Ned

Sales: £21.7m
Growth: +69.0%
Premium Kiwi wine The Ned would be the top 100’s third priciest if it had made the list this year. It’s built on its Majestic and Waitrose Wine Cellar listings to enter Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. If it carries on at this rate, it will break the top 100 soon.

 

106 Estrella Damm

Sales: £20.5m
Growth: +71.6%
Estrella is spending big. Last summer there was the short film Vale, starring Dakota Johnson; in June we got Jean Reno in The Little Things. It’s also been taking part in multibuy deals on 660ml bottles. An autumn Tesco listing for 12x330ml packs also helped.

 

109 K

Sales: £19.5m

Growth: +14.4%

C&C’s industrial-strength cider brand didn’t quite make it into the top 100 this year. Still, sales of the 8.4% abv bevvy have gained serious momentum since a rebrand in 2014 designed to make the brand stand out. Frosty Jack’s (79) may soon have a new top 100 rival.

 

128 Hendrick’s

Sales: £15.6m
Growth: +29.4%
A fifth gin looks set to join the top 100’s ranks in the not so distant future as Hendrick’s continues to fly. The cucumber and rose infused tipple has put an extra £3.6m through the tills thanks in part to a combination of gift packs and quirky packaging.

 

130 Crofters Apple Cider

Sales: £15.2m
Growth: +22.5%

Proof not all drinkers are trading up to lah-di-dah craft brands, sales of this PET 5% abv cider are flying. A litre sells for an average of £1.01, only slightly higher per unit than the top 100’s cheapest brand, 7.5% abv Frosty Jack’s (79).

 

132 New Amsterdam

Sales: £15.1m
Growth: +152.8%
Gallo only began shipping this vodka from the US in 2013, so the fact it’s now knocking on the door of the top 100 is impressive. The 2016 launch of a 35cl bottled has helped fuel growth in convenience, as has its keen price (average: £17.08).

 

141 Bardinet

Sales: £13.5m
Growth: +35.5%
Distribution gains have been crucial for Bardinet this past year, as has its competitive price. Asda and Sainsbury’s began listing the brand’s one-litre bottles last year. On average it’s £3/l cheaper than Three Barrels and half the price of Courvoisier.

 

145 (148) Talisker

Sales: £13.1m
Growth: +41.7%
The Isle of Skye’s ‘only’ whisky is up £3.9m thanks primarily to its entry level Skye variant, which has seen sales surge 157.4% to £9m, partly due to a dip in price driven by deals at key seasonal periods. 2013 launch Storm has suffered a 49.1% decline.

 

147 Las Moras

Sales: £12.9m
Growth: +32.8%
Argentina’s Las Moras: trendy and anarchic. It comes complete with edgy packaging, wines named after the Surrealist movement, and a slew of awards. It’s in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, and more mults may follow if it keeps up the pace.