According to recently released data, the best selling alcohol brand by volume isn’t a bourbon, single malt scotch, vodka, or even tequila, despite the rapid growth of the agave spirits category. No, it’s a canned ready-to-drink beverage—High Noon, the hard seltzer brand that is apparently the favorite of American drinkers.
High Noon is owned by E. & J. Gallo’s Spirit of Gallo division, which also owns whiskey and tequila brands like Komos and Horse Soldier Bourbon. According to information released by Impact Database, the RTD market overall continued to grow rapidly in 2023, with 60 million cases sold compared to just 10 million in 2019. That’s a significant chunk of the entire U.S. spirits market, the volume of which equaled nearly 300 million cases last year.
Leading the charge in the RTD category, and overall, was High Noon, with 21.4 million cases sold last year, an impressive growth of more than 30 percent over the prior year equaling about $1.5 billion in retail value. Compare that to Tito’s Vodka, which while still leading the pack in retail dollars at nearly $2.5 billion in sales, moved just over 12 million cases. Jack Daniel’s, on the other hand, sold about 6.5 million cases, representing a decrease by four percent, something that parent company Brown-Forman acknowledged recently. “High Noon continues to have tremendous momentum year over year,” Britt West, Spirit of Gallo senior vice president and general manager, told Shanken News Daily last month. “We’re strengthening our position as the number-one spirits brand by volume, and with the addition of High Noon Tequila Seltzer this year, as well as our seasonal limited-edition packs and 700-ml. options, our momentum is strong and we feel confident about it continuing into 2024.”
High Noon just released the new Snow Bird Pack, a variety pack that includes two new flavors—plum and raspberry. You can find this, and all of the High Noon flavors to try, at websites like Drizly now.