The Top 10 Best-Selling Liquor Brands in the World
Americans tend to have a pretty limited view of worldwide drinking. As much as we love our bourbon and Frosé and Tito’s, none of those things even register on the global scale of booze. In fact, you likely haven’t even heard of the top-selling alcohol brands in the world. Here, the top 10 booze brands across the entire globe, based on the most recent complete data of cases sold in 2016.
10. Tanduay
Spirit: Rum
Country of origin: Philippines
Sales (cases): 16.60m
The rum industry that was developed in the Caribbean in the Colonial era was based on sugar cane brought to the islands from across the world, in part from tropical Southeast Asia. The Philippines remains one of the largest sugar markets on planet Earth so it makes sense the country would also be home to one of the largest rum producers and 10th largest spirits brand in the world.
9. Bacardi
Spirit: Rum
Country of origin: United States
Sales (cases): 17.23m
Yes, Bacardi used to be made in Cuba, but after the Cuban Revolution ousted the Bacardi family, the distillery was moved to Puerto Rico. Now, Bacardi is the top rum brand in the world, beating out Tanduay. But you still won’t find the American brand in Cuba, where a government-run version remains entrenched.
8. Johnnie Walker
Spirit: Scotch
Country of origin: Scotland
Sales (cases): 17.40m
Diageo is one of the biggest spirits brands in the world, and their flagship scotch absolutely crushes the competition. With exclusive bottlings popping up all over the globe, especially in duty-free shops, the brand basically represents scotch to much of the world.
7. Royal Stag
Spirit: Whisky
Country of origin: India
Sales (cases): 17.99m
India is a huge whisky market (as is evident from many of the top contenders on this list), which exploded in the 1990s. Royal Stag, aka RS, aka Seagram’s Royal Stag (the brand was previously owned by Seagram’s before it was acquired by Pernod), is a huge seller in the region for owner Pernod Ricard. But it’s not as big as …
6. Imperial Blue
Spirit: Whisky
Country of origin: India
Sales (cases): 18.01m
The other Indian whisky from Pernod Ricard (and another acquisition from Seagram’s) is even bigger than Royal Stag. It sold a whopping 18 million cases in 2016.
5. McDowell’s No. 1
Spirit: Whisky
Country of origin: India
Sales (cases): 25.50m
The name McDowell’s (and sister brand Bagpiper) reveals the looming shadow of Scotland on the Indian whisky market. You may not see the name in the international market, but any drinker in India will recognize the brand immediately.
4. Smirnoff
Spirit: Vodka
Country of origin: United States
Sales (cases): 25.50m
Like Bacardi, Smirnoff is a brand you might think is made abroad, but actually it’s produced right here in the ol’ USA. While the vodka tastes like the good stuff straight from Russia, it’s an all-American brand. The most Russian thing about this top selling vodka is its branded Moscow Mule.
3. Emperador
Spirit: Brandy
Country of origin: Philippines
Sales (cases): 28.00m
While Western brandy makers might take issue with the term “brandy” being applied to Emperador’s products (which are cut with a neutral sugar cane spirit), they certainly can’t argue with the numbers. Emperador outsells any other “brandy” brand to claim the bronze medal overall.
2. Officer’s Choice
Spirit: Whisky
Country of origin: India
Sales (cases): 32.85m
Number two on the list is—guess what—another Indian whisky. Officer’s Choice, aka OC, isn’t just an officer’s first choice in whisky; it’s also the first choice for about 40 percent of drinkers in India.
1. Jinro
Spirit: Soju
Country of origin: South Korea
Sales (cases): 71.97m
People in South Korea drink a lot of soju—and we mean a lot. There’s soju available at business meetings, family events, pretty much every waking second, all of which combine to make Jinro a breakaway in the race for biggest booze sales. The brand more than doubles its nearest competitor in sales, absolutely trouncing the entire world.