Crabbies tops RTD division, draught cocktails make big moves

Draught serves Smirnoff Passion Fruit Martini and its Espresso Martini variant plus Gordon’s Pink Martini have entered The Drinks List - top brands to stock in 2022​ at positions 5, 9 and 10 respectively with impressive figures.

Smirnoff Passion Fruit Martini has seen volume sales lift from 1,045 hectolitres (HL) to a staggering 5,806hl – a 455.4% rise while its value sales have gone from £4.7m last year to £26.7m, representing a climb of 469.7%. Similarly Smirnoff’s Espresso Martini has skyrocketed by 482.8% in volume sales and by 484.7% in value terms.

Although there were no figures from last year for fellow draught RTD Gordon’s Pink Martini, it has clocked up 2,037hl and £13.1m in volumes and value figures.

Crabbies top but suffers losses

Meanwhile, topping the table again is Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Despite seeing volumes drop from 17,764HL to 11,079HL (a 37.6% loss) and a 36.6% reverse in value sales from £17.3m to £10.9m, it has edged WKD Blue into second spot yet again by selling 327HL more in the past year while value sales for WKD Blue are £2.2m better off than Crabbies.

Smirnoff Red ice gained a place despite suffering a 23.7% loss in volume sales – from 12,334HL last year to 9,405HL this term, and a fall in value sales from £14.9m to £11.6m.

VK Blue dropped a slot to fourth while conceding volume and value losses of 37.4% and 33% respectively.

The drinks in sixth, seventh and eighth position all fell by one place and all endured volume and value losses in excess of 40% on both fronts. VK Orange & Passionfruit's volumes fell from 9,854HL to 5,351HL and value dropped from £10.6m to £6m. A volume sales fall from 9,457HL to 5,122HL and value drop from £7.7m to £4.3m befell Hooch. And VK Tropical Fruits saw its volumes drop to 2,916HL from last year's 5,123 while value sales was at £3.4m versus £5.8m last year.

• All data provided by CGA for the 12 months to 9 October 2021​​