15 Biggest Liquor Companies in the World

One of the beverages that make up the alcoholic drinks market is liquor. Also known as spirits, liquor is an alcoholic beverage obtained from fermenting and distilling plants, fruits, or grains to produce whiskey, brandy, gin, tequila, tequila, and rum. In a year, the world consumes about 23 billion liters of liquor where European countries consume the most amount of alcohol. According to data from Alcohol.org, although the American market is dominated by beer, shares of liquor have increased from 28.7% in 2000, up 37.3% in 2018.

Global Liquor Trends

Although the global alcoholic beverage market was valued at $515 billion in 2019, the pandemic has greatly impacted the industry. After a year of battling COVID-19, the world came up with innovative solutions to help out the industries and businesses that were crushed by the economic effects of the pandemic. On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan which includes $28.6 billion in grants for the restaurant industry. Alcoholic beverage facilities, bars, brewpub, taproom, and liquor producers are also eligible to apply for a grant according to the National Restaurant Association.

On the other hand, COVID-19 has pronounced the trend of premiumization in the alcoholic beverage sector. With more brand awareness and increasing spending power, consumers prefer to buy premium and more sophisticated drinks when it comes to buying liquor, wine, and spirits. Based on the Global Trends Report from IWSR, by 2024, premium and super-premium alcoholic beverages will account for 13% of the global volume market as customers continue to choose quality over quantity.

Should You Invest in Liquor Stocks?

One of the popular industries that makes up the sin stocks is the liquor segment. If you are looking to diversify your portfolio with non-tech stocks to buy, you might want to consider reviewing our list of the biggest liquor companies in the world.

Since the COVID-19 breakout, many countries have prohibited the sale of liquor in on-site stores in line with bar and restaurant closure. This has caused consumers to buy alcoholic beverages online where they can be easily delivered to their homes. According to the International Wine and Spirits Records (IWSR), the value of the e-commerce market in ten core countries has grown by 40% by 2020. With the efficiency of transacting on an online platform, at-home liquor consumption is expected to continue to evolve in 2021.

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With people getting more conscious of the products they are consuming, some of the top alcohol producers have created guilt-free options for the health-conscious consumer. One of the biggest liquor companies in the world, Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP) is taking advantage of this trend by producing and marketing low-alcoholic and cannabis-infused drinks.

These trends and innovations that improve the global alcoholic market prove that the liquor sector is a pandemic-proof investment.

Biggest Liquor Companies in the World

To give you accurate insights into the biggest liquor companies in the world, we ranked the global liquor companies based on their market cap.

Now let’s see the biggest liquor companies in the world starting from number 15.

15. Willamette Valley Vineyards Inc (NASDAQ: WVVI)

Market cap: $44.8 million

Oregon-based winemaker Willamette Valley Vineyards Inc ranks 15th in our list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world. Among its popular wine brands are Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Estate Vineyard Chardonnay. Aside from distributing wines, the company caters to taste tests and wine club events.

The company’s net sales in 2020 increased 10.4% to $27.3 million. Shares of WVVI increased 90% over the past twelve months.

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14. Compania Cervecerias Unidas (NYSE: CCU)

Market cap: $3.4 billion

The 14th biggest liquor company in the world is a diversified beverage producer headquartered in Chile. Founded in 1902, Compania Cervecerias Unidas produces both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with established operations in neighboring South American countries including Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The company also distributes Heineken, Budweiser, and Sol beer brands in Chile.

The Chilean beverage company ended 2020 with a total volume of 30.7 million hectoliters, an increase of 2.2% from the previous year. CCU stock has gained 48% over the past twelve months.

13. Remy Cointreau (OTC: REMYY)

Market cap: $9.6 billion

French liquor producer Remy Cointreau ranks 13th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world. Among the company’s premium liquor and cognac brands are Rémy Martin, Saint Rémy, Cointreau, and Mount Gay. In 2020, Remy Cointreau completed its acquisition of cognac liquor producer Maison de Cognac J.R. Brillet.

In the first nine months of 2020, the company’s sales were $927 million, down 4.1% compared to the same period in 2019. The stock has gained 93.8% over the last 12 months.

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12. Molson Coors Beverage Co. (NYSE: TAP)

Market cap: $10.8 billion

Chicago-based Molson Coors ranks 12th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world. Molson Coors manufactures and distributes malt liquor drinks and is famous for Blue Moon, Coors Light, Carling, and Cobra.

Due to financial volume declines of 8.9% caused by the on-premise constraints, the company’s net sales declined by 8.7% to $9.6 billion in 2020. Shares of TAP surged 44% over the past twelve months.

11. Boston Beer Company (NYSE: SAM)

Market cap: $13 billion

Ranking 11th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world is American craft brewer Boston Beer Company. The liquor company’s flagship brands include Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Wild Leaf Hard Tea, and Twisted Tea. The volume of barrels shipped was about 7.37 million barrels, up 38.8% from the same period in 2019.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, Boston Beer Co had net revenue of $460.9 million, a 53% increase compared to the same period in 2019. Shares of SAM surged 209% over the past 12 months.

10. Brown-Forman Corp (NYSE: BF.B)

Market cap: $32.3 billion

Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corp is one of the biggest liquor companies in the world offering about 25 brands of wines and spirits, employing around 4,700 people globally. Brown-Forman Corp produces tequila, whiskey, wine, vodka, and among its most popular brands are Jack Daniel’s, El Jimador, and Canadian Mist.

Brown-Forman Corp is developing its distillery in Woodford Distillery in Kentucky to meet the rising demand for super-premium American whiskey. The company’s net sales in 2020 were $3.4 billion. The stock has gained 48.8% over the last 12 months.

9. Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery

Market cap: $37.2 billion

Chinese spirit-maker Jiangsu Yanghe is one of the biggest liquor companies in the world distributing its alcoholic beverage products domestically and internationally. Yanghe is one of the leading producers of Baijiu liquor in China.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the company’s revenue was $368 million. Shares of Yanghe have increased 93.8% over the past twelve months.

8. Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ)

Market cap: $45 billion

Ranking 8th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world is American liquor producer Constellation Brands. The company primarily manufactures beer brands including Corona Extra and Modelo Especial, which grew 12% in the third quarter of 2021 from 5% in the last quarter. New York-based Constellation Brands also produces wines and spirits including High West Whiskey, SVEDKA VODKA, and Casa Noble.

The company’s net sales in the third quarter of 2021 were $2.4 billion and as of November 2020, the company’s total assets were $27.6 billion. Shares of STZ have increased 118% over the last twelve months.

7. Pernod Ricard SA (OTC: PDRDY)

Market cap: $49 billion

Ranking 7th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world is Pernod Ricard, whose revenue in the first half of 2021 was $5.8 billion. The French wine and spirit maker distributes premium alcoholic beverages internationally with brands including Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet Scotch, Malibu, and Absolut Vodka.

The coronavirus recession impacted the revenue of the company as sales on duty-free stores flopped 47% in the first half of 2021 and national lockdowns had bars and restaurants shut down. Shares of PDRDY jumped 36.5% over the past twelve months.

6. Altria Group (NYSE: MO)

Market cap: $96 billion

Virginia-based Altria Group ranks 6th on the list of the 15 biggest liquor companies in the world. The company is a world-known producer of cigarette brands Marlboro and Philip Morris. The company also manufactures and distributes wine and liquor under Washington State Wine. The company’s wine revenues were down 12.6% due to decreased wine shipment volume to about 2.1 million cases.

The company’s revenue in 2020 was $26.2 billion, up 4.2% from the previous year. Shares of MO increased 56% over the last twelve month