Rising sales of Tequila and ready-to-drink cocktails shored up US spirits sales in 2023, according to figures from the country’s National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA).

The NABCA data, which covers 17 states and jurisdictions in the US, showed spirits volumes (sold in nine-litre cases) were up 0.4% last year versus 2022 at 61m cases. By value, sales grew 2.9% $13.64bn.

In 2022, volumes fell 0.6% and value rose by 2.2%.

Tequila's sales hit $2.33bn, marking a year-on-year increase of 12%. Volumes were up by 9.8% at 6.5 million nine-litre cases.

The volumes of cocktails sold grew 19.4% to 3.3m nine-litre cases, contributing to a 22.4% rise in value sales to $293.9m. Canned cocktails “drove the growth” of the category, NABCA said.

However, the pressure seen on Cognac sales in the US in recent quarters was borne out by the NABCA data.

Cognac/brandy volumes fell 8.7% to 2.6m nine-litre cases. Sales value declined by 10.9% to $840m. In December, Cognac/brandy was the worst-performing category falling by 5.9% in value and 4.5% in volumes.

Sales of Scotch, Canadian whisky and rum also fell in value and volume terms in 2023 in the NABCA states.

Scotch volumes sold in the states dropped 5.1% to 1.1m nine-litre cases. Sales value decreased 2.1% to $479.1m.

Sales of Canadian whisky dropped 5.3% by volume to 5.9m cases. Value sales were 2.7% lower at $1.21bn.

In rum, volume sales slid 4.1% to 5.3m cases. Sales by value dipped 0.7% to $837.6m.