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America’s Bourbon Boom

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Bourbon, America’s only homegrown spirit, holds a special place in the country’s history. In fact, George Washington ran the nation’s largest distillery in the early 1800s.

Today’s infographic comes from WebstaurantStore, and it digs into whiskey’s history, production, market shares, and more. Even seasoned fans will likely pick up some new facts to share over that next dram of bourbon.

America's Bourbon Boom

American whiskey is experiencing an impressive resurgence, but the road to the current bourbon boom hasn’t always been smooth.

Grandpa’s Drink

In the 1960s, white spirits such as vodka were experiencing a big boost in sales. Inspired by James Bond, younger consumers were imbibing martinis and mixed drinks like highballs and Bloody Marys. As a result, American whiskey brands were beginning to see their market shares erode.

In an effort to reinvigorate sales, distillers shifted down-market to create lighter, cheaper whiskeys that were designed for cocktail mixing. Bourbon’s image – and bottom line – took a huge hit as young consumers saw the spirit as “grandpa’s drink”.

Back from the dead

There were a few factors that brought bourbon back into the mainstream.

First, the spirit got a big boost from Japanese companies. Both Kirin and Suntory are heavily invested in bourbon production, and their wide reach helped spark global demand, particularly in Australia and New Zealand:

Top American Whiskey Consumers

American Whiskey has also received a boost from hipster culture and the popularity of shows such as Mad Men and House of Cards, where heavyweight characters are fans of the spirit. Ultra-premium and craft batches are generating a lot of excitement, and there is still plenty of room for the category to continue growing.

In short, bourbon is having a moment.

Kentucky is winning big

Thanks to surging demand for American whiskey domestically and abroad, Kentucky’s economy is also profiting from the bourbon boom. The distilling industry now has an annual economic impact of $8.5 billion. As well, the industry is in the midst of a $1.2 billion construction boom as distillers reinvest capital into expansion projects (fueled by recent tax cuts).

The bourbon boom is benefiting employees as well. Average salaries in the industry have nearly doubled since 2001:

Kentucky Bourbon Boom wages

The Future

With brisk demand and expanding production, the bourbon boom is showing no signs of slowing down. For investors looking to capitalize on the trend, there’s even a whiskey-oriented ETF: WSKY.

This truly is the golden age of bourbon

– Eric Gregory, President, Kentucky Distillers’ Association

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Misc

Charted: Car Brand Loyalty in 2024

This ranking of car brand loyalty shows what percentage of owners would buy from the same brand for their next vehicle.

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Car Brand Loyalty in 2024

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

This graphic visualizes the best and worst car brands in terms of brand loyalty. This is measured by the % of current owners who would buy from the same brand for their next vehicle.

Data comes from Consumer Reports’ owner satisfaction survey, which includes responses from owners of more than 330,000 vehicles.

Car Brands With the Most Loyal Customers

Rivian takes the top spot in this ranking, with 86% of owners saying they would buy from the brand again. The EV startup has carved an interesting niche for itself with its outdoor adventure-focused models, and despite several recalls, appears to have won the hearts of its early customers.

Company% who would buy again
🇺🇸 Rivian86
🇩🇪 Mini77
🇩🇪 BMW76
🇩🇪 Porsche76
🇺🇸 Tesla74
🇰🇷 Genesis73
🇯🇵 Lexus73
🇯🇵 Subaru70

It’s interesting to note that Tesla held the #1 spot in last year’s ranking.

Car Brands With the Least Loyal Customers

At the other end of the spectrum we have brands with the least loyal customers, suggesting that owners are less satisfied with their purchase.

Company% who would buy again
🇺🇸 Cadillac61
🇺🇸 Chrysler60
🇩🇪 Mercedes-Benz59
🇩🇪 Audi59
🇺🇸 Jeep58
🇯🇵 Nissan55
🇩🇪 Volkswagen51
🇯🇵 Infiniti43

At the bottom of this table is Nissan’s luxury marque, Infiniti, with only 43% of owners saying they would revisit the brand for their next car.

Infiniti dealerships are aware of this alarming trend, and have attributed it to the brand’s aging lineup. In a recent interview, Steve Lapin, Chairman of the Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board, said: “Product is king. Infiniti doesn’t have the right products right now to compete in the marketplace.”

Interested in learning more about the automotive industry? Check out this graphic, which ranks the world’s top 10 exporters of automotive products.

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