In an in-depth interview with Global Drinks Intel, Chris Swonger, the CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, provides some perspective on the overall health of the spirits category. He discusses the effects of the recent tariffs imposed on US spirits, the work to be done on the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, e-commerce trends in the US, and the impact of legalized marijuana.
“The market has changed so significantly over the last few years,” observes Swonger. “Consumers are buying their groceries online and having them delivered to their homes. That is something that the beverage alcohol industry is going to have to contend with, and we’re going to have to modernise and find a path forward while, again, working within the three-tier system.”
Source: Global Drinks Intel, February 2020