Was there really any doubt that Tito’s was the official spirit of the United States?
On Sunday, the American Association of Wine Economists shared a chart on Twitter depicting data originally published in the Wine Handbook 2021, a comprehensive beverage industry guidebook by the Beverage Information Group. The chart, “Leading Distilled Spirits Brands in the U.S., 2019 and 2020,” shows a comparison of sales by volume from 2019 to 2020 for the top 20 highest-selling spirits brands in the nation.
Tito’s was the highest selling distilled spirit by volume in 2020, selling over 10 million 9-liter cases of vodka, with a 7.8 percent increase from 2019. In second place was rival vodka brand Smirnoff, and in third, Crown Royal. Both are owned by Diageo North America.
Not only is the list evocative of the popularity of certain brands, but also the shifts in American drinking spurred by the pandemic.
The brand with the largest percent change from 2019 to 2020 was Jose Cuervo RTD, a line of ready-to-drink Margaritas, growing 34.7 percent and landing at 16th place, solidifying pre-made cocktails’ place in the beverage market. Other brands that spiked in output include Patron, Malibu, and the traditional line of Jose Cuervo spirits.
There were only three brands on the list that saw a deficit: Jack Daniels, with a deficit of -1.9 percent and coming in at 9th place; and Jameson and Absolut, both owned by Pernod Ricard and landing in 14th and 15th place, respectively.
Check out the list of the Top 20 Liquor Brands in the U.S. in 2020 below!
| # | Brand | Category | Supplier | Sales in 2020 (in ‘000 9-liter cases) | Change from 2019 |
| 1 | Tito’s Handmade Vodka | Vodka | Fifth Generation, Inc. | 10,353 | 17.8% |
| 2 | Smirnoff | Vodka | Diageo North America | 9,030 | 2.3% |
| 3 | Crown Royal | Canadian Whiskey | Diageo North America | 7,233 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Bacardi | Rum | Bacardi USA | 6,442 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Jim Beam Family | Straight whiskey | Beam Suntory | 6,358 | 9.5% |
| 6 | Fireball | Cordials and Liqueurs | Sazerac | 6,295 | 11.4% |
| 7 | New Amsterdam Vodka | Vodka | E&J Gallo Winery | 6,090 | 14.9% |
| 8 | Captain Morgan | Rum | Diageo North America | 5,590 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Jack Daniels | Straight Whiskey | Brown-Forman Corp | 5,205 | -1.9% |
| 10 | Svedka | Vodka | Constellation Brands | 4,730 | 3.9% |
| 11 | Jose Cuervo | Tequila | Proximo Spirits | 4,680 | 21.4% |
| 12 | Hennessy | Brandy & Cognac | Moet Hennessy USA | 4,405 | 12.8% |
| 13 | E & J | Brandy & Cognac | E & J Gallo Winery | 3,845 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Jameson | Irish Whiskey | Pernod Ricard USA | 3,580 | -3.8% |
| 15 | Absolut | Vodka | Pernod Ricard USA | 3,130 | -8.3% |
| 16 | Jose Cuervo RTD | Prepared Cocktails | Proximo Spirits | 3,085 | 34.7% |
| 17 | Evan Willaims | Straight Whiskey | Heaven Hill Brands | 3,004 | 7.7% |
| 18 | Malibu | Rum | Pernod Ricard USA | 2,734 | 24.7% |
| 19 | Patron | Tequila | Bacardi USA | 2,730 | 26.3% |
| 20 | Ketel One Vodka | Vodka | Diageo N America/ Nolet | 2,534 | 5.3% |
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