Liqueur sales up due to ‘Instagrammable cocktails’

Figures from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) show that sales of cream and non-liqueurs peaked in 2019, with £1.3bn worth of sales. 

The WSTA said the annual growth of 4% was a result of a continued trend of ‘Instagrammable cocktails’.

Some 18m bottles of cream liqueurs were sold in addition to 25m bottles of non-cream liqueurs, across both the on-trade and off-trade.

Drinkers are increasingly keen to try and imitate cocktails they have seen in bars or on social media at home, the WSTA said. 

The equivalent of almost 10m bottles of non-cream liqueurs were sold in pubs, bars and restaurants.

WSTA chief executive Miles Beale predicted the category would grow further in the coming year.

He said: “Last year, the WSTA highlighted that liqueurs have often been overlooked in the spirits category, but our sales data shows a renewed interest from UK consumers. 

“The liqueur category covers an array of colours making liqueur drinks very Instagrammable. 

“We expect further growth in 2020 as Brits continue to experiment with new and exciting drinks choices and share their finds on social media.” 

The boom follows new product releases in the category including a vegan variant of Baileys​ made with almond milk and a gin liqueur from London distiller Hayman’s​. 

A long hot summer helped to boost liqueur sales in 2018, when the equivalent of more than £42m worth of bottles were sold to consumers in supermarkets and pubs.