The Milanese bitter has topped the bestselling liqueurs list in the Brands Report since 2016, but from 2010-2013 it didn’t even feature in the top 10. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but back then Negronis were an industry drink and Campari bottles gathered dust.
Liqueurs are utterly tied to cocktails so it’s fitting that the Negroni, the number one classic cocktail in our Cocktail Report supplement, demands the number one liqueur. This year, Gruppo Campari’s flagship brand was the bestselling liqueur in 22% of polled bars and a top-three in 37%.
In second place, French triple sec Cointreau was a top-three liqueur in 29% of our bars thanks to its regular use in classics as varied as the Sidecar, Margarita, Cosmo and Mai Tai (sorry tiki purists).
There were times last year when it was difficult to find a reliable supply of Chartreuse, especially in the US. Yet the herbal bomb is still so beloved in the world’s best bars that it tops the trending list and takes third place in the bestselling list, a bestseller in 6% of bars and a top-three liqueur in 22%.
After a year out of the top 10, St Germain returns to fourth place thanks to a drink-of-the-summer virality that its signature serve, the Hugo Spritz, enjoyed particularly in the US.
Below the presence of ranges of liqueurs such as Giffard and Merlet, there’s still a demand for variety in the category. Chili liqueur Ancho Reyes continues to offer a valuable point of difference, and traditional brand Kahlúa returns to the list as Diageo’s modern take on the coffee liqueur – Mr Black disappears from it.
How we did it
The Annual Brands Report results are the culmination of a survey of 100 bars from around the world which have been nominated or won international awards. The report offers a picture of the buying habits of the world’s best bars – not only which brands sell best, but also what’s trending to indicate the brands that are hot right now.
To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.
The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.
