Alcoholic Beverages

The alcoholic beverages industry encompasses beer, wine, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages. Many companies operating in the industry have brands spanning multiple subsectors, but the biggest alcoholic beverage company, AB Inbev focuses only on beer.

Recently, with the advent of legal recreational cannabis markets in the United States and Canada, many alcoholic beverage companies have begun investing in cannabis businesses as a new revenue stream and as a hedge against revenue loss to a competing industry. Another emerging trend in the industry follows the general trend towards health and wellness in the overall food and beverage industry. As more and more people are trying to limit their intake of alcohol, more companies across the spectrum of the industry have begun offering low and no-alcoholic options, to great success. Additionally, consumers are showing growing interest in alternative beverages like hard seltzer and other ready-to-drink offerings.

Biggest regional beer producer
Americas
Total global wine consumption
236 million hectoliters
Total global spirits consumption
35.3 billion liters

Market size

Growth for years to come

Revenue of the alcoholic drinks market worldwide from 2018 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Revenue of the alcoholic drinks market worldwide from 2018 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

The alcoholic beverages market is expected to grow by nearly 33 percent by 2025 to nearly two trillion U.S. dollars in value from 2022's value of 1.48 trillion dollars.

Much of the alcoholic beverages market revenue comes from the two largest country markets in the world, the United States and China. In terms of categories, beer is the dominant beverage in the industry.

Alcohol beverages in Europe
Alcoholic beverages in the U.S.
Alcoholic beverages in LATAM

Market segments

Beer is dethroned

Sales market share of the United States alcohol industry from 2000 to 2022, by beverage

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Further details: Visit original statistic Sales market share of the United States alcohol industry from 2000 to 2022, by beverage

Beer accounted for 41.9 percent of all alcoholic beverage sales in the United States in 2022. Spirits surpassed beer for the first time at 42.1 percent of the market. Wine has declined to a 16 percent share.

Beer has been steadily losing market share since 2000 when it accounted for over half of all sales. Spirits have been the main benefactor of this slump, picking up over ten points of market share since that time. Meanwhile, wine has stayed relatively unchanged in its position.

Wine market in the U.S.
Beer industry
Spirit brands

Industry trends

Better for you comes to alcoholic beverages

Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of alcohol-free drinks worldwide from 2021 to 2025, by category

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Further details: Visit original statistic Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of alcohol-free drinks worldwide from 2021 to 2025, by category

Non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and spirits are each forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent between 2021 and 2025 worldwide. Non-alcoholic beer and wine will also grow at lower rates of 11 and 9 percent, respectively.

The growth of these beverages can be tied to the greater trend in the food and beverage industry of better-for-you products, which promote a healthier lifestyle. Likewise, more consumers are trying to drink little or no alcohol every year.

Craft beer in the U.S.
Hard seltzer in the U.S.

Industry leaders

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a beverage giant

Leading beverage companies worldwide in 2022, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Leading beverage companies worldwide in 2022, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgian brewing company responsible for such brands as Budweiser, Corona, and Beck's is not only the largest alcoholic beverages company in the world but also the largest beverage company altogether with sales of over 54 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. Heineken came second with roughly half the sales of AB InBev in that year.

It should come as no surprise that brewers top the list, as beer is the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage worldwide.

Beer industry
Spirit brands
Wine market in the U.S.

State of the industry

  • Beer market in Germany
  • Spirits and liqueur market in the UK
  • Beer industry in the United States
  • Spirits market in the U.S.
  • The wine market in France
  • Hard seltzer market in the U.S.
  • Alcohol consumption in Canada
  • Alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom
  • Alcoholic Drinks in the United States 2022
  • Alcoholic Drinks: market data & analysis

Industry definition

The alcoholic beverages industry is comprised of companies that manufacture and sell beverages containing alcohol from various sources. The main segments of the industry are beer, wine, and spirits. Among these exist various subsegments differentiated by their production materials and techniques, and the flavors and alcohol content they produce. All alcoholic beverages share the commonality of fermenting some source of sugar at some stage in their production in order to produce alcohol.

Beer is the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage on the planet and for this reason, the world's largest beer brewers are also the largest alcoholic drink manufacturers on the planet, with Belgian AB InBev leading the pack. Spirits, which are produced by distilling after fermentation are the next largest market, are led by the British company Diageo. Finally, wine, made from fermented grapes is the smallest major alcohol segment. The largest producer is E&J Gallo Winery.

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