Monday, June 17, 2019

Rant: Asian Spirits Are The Future

In general, Craft spirits are the future while Asian spirits are taking the lead in this category. It's time to explore Asian spirits, from Baijiu to Soju, and to understand their growing popularity.

The Association for Packaging & Processing Technologies (PMMI) has released a new report, indicating the significant growth of the spirits industry and the slowing down of the craft beer industry. In 2018, the overall Beer category decreased by 1%, though the Craft Beer category grew by 4%. The number of new breweries increased by 1,049 but 219 breweries also closed. The report feels that the craft beer industry may have hit its peak, and any further growth will be low, if at all.

On the other hand, the Spirits category in 2018 was booming, with the opening of 1835 distilleries, a growth of 15% from 2017, and total sales were $3.7 Billion, a growth of 30% from 2017. This rate of growth is expected to continue at double digits for a number of years to come.

The Drinks Business also wrote about the "10 Fastest Growing Spirits Brands In The World In 2018." These ten brands included Jing Jiu Baijiu (China), Officer's Choice Whisky (India), McDowell's Brandy (India), McDowell's Whisky (India), Magic Moments Vodka (India), Royal Stag Whisky (India), Imperial Blue Whisky (India), Tanduay Rum (Philippines), Chum Churum Soju (Korea), and Jinro Soju (Korea). Jinro was named the #1 fastest-growing brand for a second consecutive year. As you can see, all 10 of these brands are from Asia, with India occupying five spots.

Have you tasted any of these spirits? Or at least spirits from these categories made by other producers?

It's always good to expand your palate, to try new drinks and see if you can find any new favorites. It's time to check out some of the new Asian spirits, many which have a lengthy history in their countries of origin. Read about them, learn about their complexities, and taste them. Take a chance on Baijiu and Soju, and discover the myriad flavor profiles that are available.

No comments: