Spirits Returns to Growth but “Not Yet Out of the Woods,” says Cressy

Dear Client: This morning DISCUS held its annual briefing with analysts and the media. The consensus? The spirits industry is beginning to rebound but has still not returned to the level of growth we saw before the recession. Yes, 2010 was much stronger than 2009 and especially 2008. Consumers are starting to trade up and slowly returning to the on-premise. DISCUS chief Peter Cressy noted that the on-premise is seeing "some recovery there but it's slow." Hey, we'll take it.