Even the world’s strongest alcohol brands have to fact the facts: we’re in a new era, defined by moderation. The world’s top 20 alcohol brands have seen their collective brand value plummet 7% in 2025, according to Kantar BrandZ.
Alcohol consumption is declining across major markets: especially in North America and Europe.
But it doesn’t mean the end of brand growth for brands. It does mean, however, they’ve got more work to do.
Consumers continue to search out premium products and trade up to ‘drinking less, but drinking better’.
The world's top 20 alcohol brands: Kantar BrandZ
Moutai
Corona
Budweiser
Heineken
Modelo
Wu Liang Ye
Michelob Ultra
Johnnie Walker
Brahma
Hennessy
Bud Light
Skol
National Cellar 1573
Guinness
Stella Artois
Victoria
Tecate
Smirnoff
Jack Daniel's
Xing Hua Cun
So how do the top brands in alcohol stand out?
At the top of that is taste.
“It’s widely recognised that taste is the reigning force in food and beverage – this rings true even for alcohol and beer," says Maggie Callender, global brand program director, Kantar.
“Perceptions around ‘smooth’, ‘savour’, and ‘refresh’ consistently emerge as top drivers for the category.”
That remains central for the category moving forward: whether it’s about alcohol, low alcohol or non-alcohol brands.
“As the cultural movement toward moderation and wellness accelerates, we see that consumers remain steadfast in their expectations around taste,” says Callender.
“Global research consistently highlights scepticism towards whether non-alcoholic beer can deliver the same flavour experience as its alcoholic counterpart. This presents a compelling challenge for brands: creating a non-alcoholic product that doesn’t ask consumers to sacrifice taste for wellness.”
Beyond the bottle
But top alcohol brands have been going beyond this. They’ve also been thinking creatively.
Firstly, they’ve been thinking about being more present across a range of new occasions that never used to be associated with alcohol: such as fitness, sports and solo relaxation.
They’ve also been prepared to go beyond alcohol: putting investment into R&D and marketing to make better 0% products.
But it’s not necessarily about going all the way to 0%. Many of the world’s biggest alcohol brands are those that lean into the idea of sessionability or light drinking: occasions which still have alcohol but aren’t about heavy drinking.
Think of the rise of RTD alcohol, a category that’s uncomplicated and fun: or the success of light beers such as Corona and Michelob Ultra.
The most successful brands also recognize the need to play in a digital space: not only to reach consumers, but also to appeal to AI agents.
