Trade & Retrail TREND REPORT

Christmas Trends 2023

Retail Christmas Trends 2023

Written by

Jess Williamson

2022 CHRISTMAS BREAKDOWN

Since 2020 Master of Malt has sold >50,000 Advent calendars

During December 2022 we shipped >247k bottles by Christmas.

Bottles shipped

>247,000

Champagne

+151% Q3-Q4

Liqueurs

+78% Q3-Q4

Wine

+151% Q3-Q4

Absolut Elyx Magnum

+2927% Q3-Q4 – party season!

TOP 3 BRANDS DURING CHRISTMAS 2022 - RETAIL

BRAND #1

Bathtub Gin

STANDOUT PRODUCT:

Bathtub Gin Old Tom

+1429% Q3-Q4

BRAND #2

Aberlour

STANDOUT PRODUCT:

Aberlour 14 Year Old Double Cask Matured

+91% Q3-Q4

BRAND #3

Aberfeldy

STANDOUT PRODUCT:

Aberfeldy 16 Year Old

+104% Q3-Q4

FESTIVE FLAVOURS SPOTLIGHT

Project #173 Gingerbread Rum

+499% Q3-Q4

Snow Globe Orange & Gingerbread Gin Liqueur

+934% Q3-Q4

Mozart Distillerie

+155% Q3-Q4

Absolut Mandrin

+353% Q3-Q4

&Whisky Christmas Cake & Cinnamon 8YO

+1155% Q3-Q4

&Whisky Seaweed & Christmas Cake

+96% Q3-Q4

2023 PREDICTIONS

A bottle of Craigellachie Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Cognac and Armagnac cask-matured whiskies are go!

There has been a recent influxof Cognac and Armagnac cask whiskies, and they’re proving popular – Glen Moray Twisted Vine sold out immediately on Master of Malt, and Craigellachie 13 Year Old Bas-Armagnac Cask Finish is consistently in-demand. These show a new way to enjoy a traditional Christmas spirit (brandy).

A hand placing a dried piece of fruit in a retro styled cocktail

Two retro styled cocktails

Retro cocktail revival

It’s time to go back to basics – not that the likes of Gimlets, Snowballs, and Champagne cocktails are actually basic at all. These retro cocktails are all about nostalgia, something which is proving consistently popular in drinks and beyond.

Three Brandy bottles on a red background.

Three Cognac and Armagnac bottles.

Brandy outside of the big three

People will start looking beyond Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados this Christmas, exploring the likes of Brandy de Jerez and Metaxa, bolstered by the launch of a new British brandy called Burnt Faith. The choice is ever expanding!

A bottle of Del Maguey Mezcal Vida

Classic cocktails with a twist

On the flipside, we predict that home drinkers will be inspired to try at-home mixology experimentation thanks to the hospitality industry. We’re talking Mezcal Negronis, Tequila Old Fashioneds, and Christmas cachaça cocktails.