The Spike Pub & Liquor Store - ABLE BC

LDB Report
by Katharine Jowett
Liqueurs
The liqueurs category is in a period of transition,
after having witnessed minimal growth every
year since 2007/08, and a drop of 9% in 2009/10.
Fortunately, liqueurs have been thrown a possible
lifeline with the growth of cocktail consumption
in BC. Many BC lounges, bars, and restaurants
are seeing a cocktail culture emerge, which is
leading to experimentation with once relatively
obscure liqueurs.
This decline in liqueur sales has prompted many
liqueur brands to re-invent themselves, now
highlighting their youthful and contemporary
appeal and suitability as an ingredient in mixed
cocktail drinks. Fruit liqueurs are now key
ingredients in martinis, and chocolate and coffee
liqueurs are reappearing in pub menus tailored
for the holiday season.
Why should we be thinking liqueurs now It is
important to realize that many of the largest
volume liqueurs do as much as 30-40% of their
total yearly volume in the months of November
and December alone. Hence, it is important to
order adequate quantities early in the season
and even give thought to expanding the size of
your retail liqueur section to accommodate the
additional seasonal demand.
The following shows popular liqueur brand
rankings in B.C. and the percentage of total yearly
sales that the November and December holiday
season represents.
Top 10 Ranked Liqueurs by Brand - Gross $
All sizes, all channels
Rank Brand (all sizes) % of full year sales sold in
the months of Nov/Dec 2009
1 Baileys Irish Cream 42%
2 Carolans Finest Irish Cream 35%
3 Jägermeister 20%
4 Kahlua 30%
5 Grand Marnier 34%
6 Amaretto - Disaronno 36%
7 Fireball – Dr. McGillicuddy's 23%
8 Drambuie 37%
9 Amarula 40%
10 Cadbury Caramilk Liqueur 92%*
*New product introduced to the market October 2009
Since the introduction of Baileys Irish Cream
liqueur back in 1974, cream liqueurs continue
to dominate the BC liqueur market by selling up
to three times more than other liqueurs. Baileys
sparked the introduction of various other rivals
such as Carolans Finest Irish Cream, Feeney’s Irish
Cream, and O’Darby Irish Cream, which use Irish
whiskey as the base ingredient. The mix of coffee,
cocoa, vanilla scent, and dash of Irish whiskey
make these some of the most popular liqueurs in
the BC marketplace.
32 The Publican