SPIRITS SALES REACH 3% IN FEB

In the four weeks ending February 25, 2007, spirits industry dollar sales were up 3.2% in the U.S. from the prior year, while volume gained 0.7%, according to Information Resources (IRI).

The vodka category showed the most growth, with sales up 6.2% year on year and volume up 3%. Tequila wasn’t far behind with a 5% sales increase and a 1.6% volume gain. Rum, whiskey and cordial sales grew 2.5%, 2.3% and 2.3% respectively, with volumes coming in at 1%, -1.1% and -0.6%. Gin and brandy were down across the board.