Spirits Post Strong Sales in March

Dear Client: March was a good month for the US spirits industry, with sales up +5.5% compared to +4.7% growth in February, based on Nielsen scans per Goldman Sachs, CitiGroup and Morgan Stanley. Stronger sales were boosted by improved volumes (+3.7%) and price/mix (+1.7%) thanks in part to St. Patrick's Day. Case in point: Irish Whiskey sales climbed +31.7% in March compared to +19.8% in February. Premium and super-premium price categories remained strong, with sales up +6.3% and +13.4%, respectively.