2022 Spirits Trend Report: A Closer Look at Gin, Cognac & Mexican Spirits

The spirits world was heavily impacted in the past couple of pandemic years by big swings in America’s drinking habits, from learning to make cocktails at home to changing preferences in base spirits like cognac and agave-based spirits. We talked to a couple of industry experts to learn what they think will happen next in several key categories.

Gin

Eli Raffeld, Co-Founder of High Road Spirits, a collection of global artisanal spirits brands says:

“Gin is certainly the drink of the world. We are very happy to see the shift happening away from traditional juniper-forward gins which polarize and put off many first-time gin drinkers to fruity, floral, citrus-forward gins that are delicious and satisfying. For Americans to get into gin they need to have less juniper, flavored clear spirit is king as we have seen with the botanical vodkas surging this past year.” He adds, “West coast gins, international in particular Japanese gins with more citrus and less juniper are starting to change minds and find everyday applications not only at the bar but on the home bar.

Trends he sees in 2022, “More flavored gins, citrus, fruits, unique spice blends and finally the realization that the more botanical-forward vodka becomes and the less juniper gin becomes, there will be a whole new consumer set introduced to this fantastic category. Gin martinis are back with these softer gins, we see more gin based cocktails than ever before, but we are still waiting on the broad market consumer acceptance to really give gin the boost it needs to boom like in other international markets. “

Along with Japanese gins and whiskeys, High Road offers unique Japanese vermouth made from sake that ties into the popularity of Japanese flavors and the rise of vermouth. “Bermutto is a nod to the aromatized sakes that have a long history in japan while looking towards the future in recognizing the impact of vermouth on the global cocktail scene. It has versatile applications and allows for a truly all Japanese martini.”

JLP l'organic Courtesy Jean-Luc Pasquet Cognac

Cognac

According to The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. Over the last 12 months, Cognac sales reached more than 3.6 billion Euros with 223.2 million bottles of Cognac shipped, an increase of +16.2% in volume and 30.9% in value compared to 2020. The US remains the leading export market for Cognac, continues to grow with an increase of +11.1% or 115 million bottles of cognac shipped in 2021. 

Notes Raffeld, “Cognac has ridden the wave of the brown spirit alongside aged rum, brandy, and Armagnac. The bartenders and industry folks who were hot on bourbons, ryes, and other whiskies 5 years ago are now praising brandy, cognacs, and Armagnac as their “go to’s.” The growth in Cognac has been more in the big houses for higher-end at-home consumption over covid. Using Cognac in cocktails has contributed, as well as the cool factor of Cognac and millions of dollars spent on marketing the big brands.“

Mexican Spirits

In a December 20, 2021 article, Nation’s Restaurant News stated “Tequila suppliers reported just under $4 billion in revenue in 2020, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, up from $962 million in 2003, an increase of more than 310%. In 2020 alone, revenue was up by 17.4%, and that was before the launch of numerous tequilas by celebrities in 2021. Meanwhile, mezcal sales grew by 17.7% in 2020 to surpass $124.1 billion. In recent years interest has also grown in lesser-known agave spirits, including raicilla and bacanora, as well as sotol, which is made from a different type of cactus than agave.”

Adds Raffeld, “There are more mezcal brands than ever before and it still hasn’t crossed over into the mainstream…there is still a large lane for mezcal to grow in the consumer space, [though] the smokiness and lack of supply for raw materials will always be a limitation. Premium agaves are wild grown and take 18-30 years to mature, at a very high cost.   There will be a switch to destilado de agave and Sotol…because of the raw material costs. Sotol will be next, there are millions of Dasylirion wheeleri (desert spoon) plants out there…[which could help] offset the demand in Mezcal and alleviate some pressure off the agave space.  Tequila continues to surge, in the premium space and cristalino, carbon filtered aged tequila is having a moment.”

What about Cristalino?

Curious about Cristalino? A quick look at Google Trends shows it’s not only been trending but reached an all-time peak in terms of search queries in December of 2021. We asked Jaime Salas, Head of Advocacy – Agave at Proximo Spirits, home of Maestro Dobel Tequila to explain the Cristalino process. “With Cristalino, the tequilas are blended and filtered through a refinement process to smooth out any harsh notes while still maintaining the characteristics imparted by aging process in taste and aroma, giving a crystal-clear appearance to the liquid.”

Cristalino originated in Mexico, when Maestro Dobel’s founder Juan Dobel recognized a new generation of tequila drinkers who were increasingly drawn to silver tequilas, considering them more approachable and sophisticated than the more traditional reposados or añejos. Keep in mind, historically Mexico has been a reposado drinking nation. As a result, Cristalino tequilas can be rested or aged in barrels over varying periods of time to fully obtain the flavors and aromas from the respective types of wood utilized, before carefully filtering to balance the complexity imparted by the oak while highlighting the cooked agave notes, appealing to those consumers reaching for a silver.

Maestro Dobel introduced this method of filtering the tequila with Dobel Diamante and since then we have seen growth in this category.  I absolutely agree that Cristalino and premium tequilas in general will see big growth this year.  ”

Salas also commented on trends in Mezcal, Sotol, and other agave spirits from Mexico, “As they say, ‘all boats rise with the tide’. I think we can expect to see another year of growth across the mezcal, sotol, and the agave category in general. People are interested in trying new spirits with history and focus on craftsmanship and Mexico has a lot to offer. The various types of agave and the varying processes in crafting these fine spirits lends to its popularity.”