The Brand Champions is an annual report revealing and analyzing the top-selling labels of liquor in any given year. Since it debuted back in 2014 it has provided a reliable and informative snapshot–not just of individual brands–but of the general trajectory of the industry as a whole. Last year, for example, total volume sales of spirits increased a modest 1.4% over 2022 numbers. Not great. But not terrible.
This year, roughly half of the top 150 brands listed in the communique reported a decline, leading its publisher to label the landscape as one of “perma-crisis.” We promise you, though, it’s not all doom and gloom for booze. Just take a look at the top-selling scotch whiskies for some spirited reassurance. The reigning brand champion in the category is Johnnie Walker, which has dominated global whiskey sales throughout the 21st Century. Yes, it’s overall sales dipped slightly year-over-year (21.6 million cases sold in 2024 versus 22.1 million in 2023), but its numbers are up some 50% since 2020.
It underscores the point that people around the world are still consuming whisky at near-record numbers. It’s merely the rate of growth that has slowed–which was never fully sustainable anyway, given its astronomical trajectory across the 2010s. And while other less-nimble whiskey brands might be losing some market share to tequila, or even non-alcoholic offerings, Johnnie Walker has bucked that movement by continually carving out new audiences across a wide spectrum of drinkers–from fans of the top shelf to the well.
For mass appeal, Red Label remains the crowd favorite. The most affordable liquid in the portfolio is non-aged-stated, retails for $25 a bottle and has been the world’s best-selling scotch since the mid-1960s. Joining it now is Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, priced at around $45 per bottle. Officially released in March of 2025, it’s intended as a slightly upmarket, yet eminently accessible expression. The brand’s master blender, Dr. Emma Walker, describes it as a sweeter blend with red berry notes.
This flavor profile, along with sleek packaging, suggests it will be aimed at nightlife crowds that might otherwise be looking for vodka or tequila while ordering bottle service. Even on the ultra-premium end of the divide, Dr. Walker has signaled a willingness to meet modern drinkers where they are. Her first limited edition of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Ice Chalet, came out last October and was an immediate hit with Gen Z and Millennial demographics. It’s a lighter, more refreshing variant of the beloved top shelf staple, and yet its core DNA–robust depth and gentle smoke–remains discernible. In other words, it can win over newcomers without alienating the loyal legions.
And when it comes to sustaining the ultra-high net worth consumers, Johnnie Walker seems better positioned in 2025 than ever before. It just launched its own bespoke Vault program earlier in the year, where deep pocketed fans of the whisky can travel directly to Scotland and pay upwards of £50,000 to develop their own bottling in conjunction with Dr. Walker, herself. Additionally, parent company Diageo launched a dedicated luxury division late last year. And so, for the world’s top-selling brand of scotch, at least, the current state of the industry should hardly be characterized as a crisis.
The full 36-page report of 2025 Brand Champions can be found here.
