Pennsylvania “drinks better, not more,” says an industrial group Drink | Pittsburgh

The 2020-21 fiscal year was a “fantastic” year for the spirits industry, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and supply chain disruptions, industry officials said on February 9th.

Revenues of the American distilled spirits industry, which includes, among others, whiskey, tequila, rum and vodka, grew by 12% from 2020 to 2021, according to United States Alcohol Board(DISCUS) is a national trade organization representing marketers and producers of distilled alcohol.

Nationally, super-premium spirits received the largest revenue growth in the 2020-21 fiscal year with a growth rate of 82% from the categories of super-premium and high-end products.

“People drink better, not more,” said Christine Locaschio, head of public policy at DISCUS, adding that “premiumization takes place in different categories.”

DISCUS links the increased demand for premium beverages with higher-than-usual disposable income compared to the pre-pandemic level.

Pennsylvania’s alcohol habits reflect the fact that consumers choose high-end foods, according to the Pennsylvania Alcohol Control Board 2020-21 annual report.

“Sales of premium products increase when customers spend more dollars on more expensive products,” the report said, noting that premium, super-premium and ultra-premium spirits increased by 22 over the same period. , 41% and 27.16%, and 59.13% increase respectively.

DISCUS also reported a national increase in tequila sales revenue.

Of the $ 3.8 billion in revenue reported by DISCUS, tequila revenue accounted for 31 percent of that growth, a trend also reported by the Pennsylvania Alcohol Control Board.

According to the Board of Alcohol Control, in the 2020-21 fiscal year in Pennsylvania, total sales of tequila in dollars increased by 52.3%.

As the country emerged from the blockades in 2020, which happened again and again, LoCashia said that tequila revenues “helped stimulate revenue growth in 2021.”

Despite rising revenues and increased demand for premium spirits, supply chain disruptions continue to affect the industry, LoCascio said on February 9, adding that in 2022 supply chain problems are “expected to improve”.

A spokesman for the Alcohol Control Council, Sean Kelly, told Capital-Star that, despite warnings about inflation, the council “did not change prices since before the pandemic.”

However, suppliers have made requests for price changes to the board, which has affected retail prices, Kelly said.

Last September, the council imposed a two-bottle limit on 43 different spirits, citing supply chain failures caused by COVID-19.

Now in the diet of 37 alcoholic beverages.

Limited list as of January 2022

Kelly said that as products become more affordable again, the board will lift purchase limits.