The challengers to the UK's biggest booze brands: who’s up next?

112 (137)

Beavertown

Sales: £25.2m

Growth: +17.6%

Beavertown’s 26.3% rise in volume sales was driven chiefly by its Neck Oil pale ale, says commercial director Steve McAllister. Sales were further boosted by “working with grocery partners to drive distribution of our well known beers”, as well as rolling out NPD “to excite shoppers”, including three IPAs in a 440ml canned format.

117 (135)

Sourz

Sales: £24.7m

Growth: +12.5%

Sourz has continued to capitalise on the home cocktail boom, growing by £2.7m as an extra 200k litres filled shopping baskets.  The launch of Watermelon liqueur in March was intended to help Brits find “new ways” of enjoying Sourz. The variant is available exclusively to Booker customers until July, after which it will be in Tesco only.

119 (138)

Dragon Soop

Sales: £23.4m

Growth: +9.8%

Thanks to increased distribution across England and Wales – plus its “most mature market” of Scotland – Dragon Soop generated an extra £2.1m. Aiming to keep its lineup “fresh and interesting”, the boozy energy brand added a Blue Pineapple & Kiwi flavour earlier this year, with another new variant set to land in October.

121 (141)

Asahi Super Dry

Sales: £23.0m

Growth: +9.1%

As many premium world beers shed value, Asahi added £1.9m, shifting an extra 400k litres. The Japanese lager “continues to see phenomenal growth”, with off-trade frequency of purchase up 52% over the past two years, says UK global brands director Jonathan Norman. A major push kicked off in May across VOD, radio and OOH.

122 (183)

Magnum

Sales: £22.8m

Growth: +50.5%

Magnum has sold an extra 400k litres, resulting in a £7.6m boost to sales. The fortified tonic wine from Jamaica far outgrew rival Buckfast (71) in percentage terms, despite being considerably pricier per litre. Its 200ml format has proven popular with Brits wanting a hit of iron and vitamins with their RTD booze.

123 (156)

Dead Man’s Fingers

Sales: £22.6m

Growth: +22.1%

Innovation is at the heart of yet another year of growth for Dead Man’s Fingers. The Cornish brand added £4.1m after unveiling White Rum, Black Rum, Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur and Tequila Reposado. Plus, there was a marketing partnership with rock magazine Kerrang and a radio ad debut in the run-up to Christmas 2021.

133 (155)

Definition

Sales: £20.0m

Growth: +7.6%

Exclusive to Majestic Wine, the Definition brand’s “scale and breadth” offers something for everyone, insists the retailer’s head of brand Jack Merrylees. It’s added the likes of Red Burgundy and Cava over the past year. The £1.4m increase in value, however, is entirely down to a 7.5% hike in average price. Volumes are flat.

136 (182)

Nicolas Feuillatte

Sales: £19.8m

Growth: +30.8%

The party looks to be over for champagne, with big brands losing value as shoppers trade down to cheaper types of sparkling wine. Challenger Nicolas Feuillatte, however, has bucked the downward trend. It’s up £4.7m, having grown volumes 23.6% – in part thanks to a relatively affordable average price of £27.29 per litre.

145 (222)

Funkin

Sales: £19.1m

Growth: +75.9%

A £1.2m push last year – the biggest in its 22 years – helped drive a major value boost for Funkin. It’s up £8.3m after shifting 800k more litres. “Our mission is to make great-tasting cocktails available to all,” says marketing director Ben Anderson. New variants Peach on the Beach and Long Island Iced Tea are set for this summer.

147 (425)

Kylie Minogue

Sales: £18.9m

Growth: +338.1%

Kylie’s wine brand is this year’s fastest climber, shooting up 278 places with a £14.6m gain. The launch of Prosecco Rosé was a key driver, as was “strengthened distribution” for its range across grocery, the brand says. It aims to make further sales gains this year via a “big increase” in marketing investment.