The awards just keep coming for our Luxco^® brands! The 2018 Growth Brand Awards from Beverage Information Group includes awards for Rebel Yell^® Whiskey, Exotico^® Tequila, Juarez^® Tequila, and Ezra Brooks^® Whiskey. These brands will be featured in the March/April issues of Beverage Dynamics, Cheers, and StateWays and recognized by the industry at the next WSWA conference.

The Growth Brand awards are divided into four categories (Fast Track, Rising Star, Established Growth Brands, and Comeback Brands) for beer, wine, and spirits. The winning brands are determined by the Beverage Information & Insights Group, which tracks case sales throughout the year. All awards are given based on sales the prior calendar year.

The Fast Track award is given to brands that have exceeded 100,000 9-liter cases in 2016, with double-digit growth in each of the past four years. The brands must also be at least five years old. The Established Growth Brands award is given to brands who are top sellers, moving a minimum of 400,000 9-liter cases annually and must have done so in each of the past four years.

Juarez Tequila also won the prestigious Growth Brands Hall of Fame award and will receive the cover story of the March/April issues of Beverage Dynamics, Cheers, and StateWays, in addition to a trophy at the Las Vegas WSWA. This means the brand has had at least 15 years of Growth Brand awards out of the last 20 years in which the awards have been presented. The brand will also get a full profile in the May/June issue of Beverage Dynamics and the June/July issue of Cheers, covering the entire history of the brand.

In addition, Ezra Brooks received the Impact Hot Brand Award this year, one of only 31 brands to receive this award in 2017, which honors the fastest-growing spirits across the country.  To meet the Hot Brands’ stringent criteria, spirit brands must have a minimum volume of 200,000 cases and also represent at least one of the following: an established brand with double-digit growth in each of the past three years; an established brand with at least 15% growth in 2017; one of the market’s top 10 spirit brands with at least 5% growth in 2017; and at least 15% aggregate growth since 2014. Ezra Brooks has seen tremendous growth recently, having shipped 234,000 cases last year and seeing 15.5% growth*.

(*Source: NABCA 9L R12 through December 2017)

AWARDS
Rebel Yell Whiskey Fast Track Award
Exotico Tequila Fast Track Award
Ezra Brooks Whiskey Impact Hot Brand Award
Juárez Tequila Established Growth Award / Growth Brands Hall of Fame Award