Cognac’s post-pandemic honeymoon period in the US is at risk of being over, according to figures released late last week.
In the Distilled Spirits Council of the US’s latest ‘Luxury Brand Index’, the segment’s sales at the higher-priced end stagnated in the three months to the end of September. The trade association’s research, which tracks per-unit sales of spirits priced US$50 and above in the country, found that year-on-year growth of “luxury spirits” totalled 15%.
The overall performance represented “a slower [growth] rate” when compared to Q3 2021 versus 2020, with DISCUS flagging “the economic uncertainty due to inflation and lacklustre growth in overall economic activity” as the main hindrances.
Leading the way at spirits' more expensive end in the three-month period were American whiskey and Tequila, both of which jumped by around a third.
The pair also take the headlines when considering five-year growth rates in the US.
DISCUS kicked off the Luxury Brand Index project in October last year.
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