Last week First Drinks launched their Market Report 2011, focusing on the UK wine and spirit market for both on and off-trade.

The bite of the recession has meant that the average number of times a person will go out in any one week has dropped dramatically – the figures show that whilst in 2005 only 38% limited their nights out to one per week, this figure has now hit 70%. On the up-side this has seen a spike in the sales of premium brands has risen by 11% – more than double the 5% rise in spirits sales overall – as customers lean towards trading-up to make sure their one big night out goes with a bang. First Drinks names this phenomenon Weekend Millionaire, and charts its rise in conjunction with the Treat Spender. A consumer that saves their pennies up for a blow out on a special occasion – one of the key drivers behind the 13% hike in spirits sales recorded on the weekend of the Royal Wedding. 2012 is looking good for the on-trade if these trends continue to boom, as national special occasions will include The Olympic Games, UEFA Euro 2012 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in addition to the annual holidays.

This perceived tendency towards making your night on the town really count has brought about an increased level of interest in cocktails, consequently there has been a 36% rise in the number of bars offering them over the past year. This, in turn, has led to a greater provision of staff training in bars, as better prepared staff are more likely to encourage an up-sell and to prepare a better quality of cocktail, which justifies a higher price point.

The non-cream liqueurs category has been identified as one of the fastest growing, with an annual growth of 12%, brought about – for the most part – by the enormous popularity enjoyed by Jägermeister in recent years, a rise in interest in Disaronno and the perpetually high volume of Sourz sold in club environments. As impressive as this growth is, it is dwarfed by the surge in interest in flavoured vodkas, an area in which sales have grown by over 100% year-on-year. Golden rums are also, as we all know, a key area and First Drinks report a total boost of 24% (including spiced rums within the sector – in fact the two biggest sellers are listed as Morgan's Spiced and Sailor Jerry).

On-trade Champagne sales have dropped by 1%, in contrast to the 3% boost in the off-trade, suggesting that more people are opting to side-step the mark-ups and enjoy fizz at home. Consistent with the theme of trading-up though, the number of venues selling Champagne by the glass has risen by an impressive 24%, whilst Rosé Champagne now makes up close to 10% of category sales. Also, an impressive 45% of drinks sales in hotels are entirely made up of Champagne.

News item from Imbibe.com, 27-07-2011