Wine & Spirits Weekly — March 27, 2026

Top Stories

World Whiskies Awards 2026: Scotland Leads, But the World Is Watching

The full results of the 2026 World Whiskies Awards were published this week, revealing winners across every major whisky-producing region. While Scotland dominated the top honors, Forbes contributor Joe Micallef noted that the breadth of winning nations underscores "just how global whisky has become." The awards, widely considered the most prestigious in the category, drew entries from distilleries on multiple continents. The results are already generating significant trade discussion about which regions are emerging as serious challengers to Scotch supremacy.

RTDs the Only Growth Category as Beverage Alcohol Dollars Slip 2.7%

Total beverage alcohol dollar sales fell 2.7% to $7.5 billion in NIQ-tracked channels during the four weeks ending March 14, according to Shanken News Daily. Spirits and wine led the declines, while RTDs (ready-to-drink beverages) remained the sole category posting growth. The data reinforces a growing consensus that consumer preferences are shifting away from traditional spirits and wine, with RTDs capturing attention across demographics. Distributors and suppliers alike are reassessing their portfolios in light of the persistent underperformance of legacy categories.

IWSC Returns to Kentucky for Third Annual Spirited Judging — Entries Open Through April 24

The International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), often called the "Olympics of the Drinks Industry," announced on March 25 that it will return to Kentucky for its third annual Spirited Judging, set for June 1–6, 2026. Entries are being accepted through April 24. The IWSC's continued partnership with Kentucky signals the growing global prestige of American whiskey and the Bluegrass State's position as a world spirits capital. Industry professionals are encouraged to submit ahead of the deadline to participate in one of the sector's most globally recognized competitions.

WSWA Launches Educational Resource on Intoxicating Hemp Beverages

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), the national trade association representing wine and spirits distributors, announced this week the launch of a new educational resource focused on intoxicating hemp beverages. The move reflects mounting pressure on the traditional three-tier system as hemp-derived THC drinks proliferate across retail channels with inconsistent state-level regulation. By equipping distributors with regulatory and compliance guidance, WSWA is attempting to help members navigate an increasingly fragmented legal landscape. The resource signals that hemp beverages are no longer a fringe concern but a mainstream distribution challenge.

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prnewswire.com

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Ratings & Reviews

• Spring Tasting 2026 Medal Winners (Various Regions) — No single score: Patricia Stefanowicz MW, writing for The Drinks Business, declared the quality of this year's Spring Tasting entries "higher than ever," with medals awarded across an eclectic mix of styles and regions. The full medal list is now published.

• Best Bourbons at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards (United States) — Category Champions: The Whiskey Wash published a full breakdown of every bourbon winner at this year's World Whiskies Awards, detailing what sets each bottle apart. The World's Best Bourbon title was among the most closely contested categories in the competition.

• Sommelier-Recommended Value Reds 2026 (Various Regions) — No single score: VinePair surveyed 16 sommeliers on which red wines offer the best value for money in 2026, with recommendations spanning well beyond the usual suspects of Bordeaux and Burgundy into emerging and underrated regions.

Business & Market Moves

• Molson Coors / Monaco RTD: Shanken News Daily reported this week that Molson Coors — the second-ranked U.S. brewer by volume at approximately 578 million cases — is expanding its RTD portfolio through the acquisition of the Monaco brand for an undisclosed sum. The deal reflects the broader industry rush to capture share in the only beverage alcohol category currently showing retail growth, and signals that large brewers are increasingly looking to spirits-based RTDs to diversify revenue amid volume pressure in their core beer segments.

• Reyes / RNDC Distribution Deal: Shanken News Daily also reported that Reyes and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) have struck purchase agreements for Reyes to acquire RNDC's operations in 11 markets, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. (announced March 23, 2026). The deal represents one of the largest distribution realignments in the U.S. in recent memory, with significant implications for supplier relationships and on-shelf placement across some of the country's most important wine and spirits markets.

• IDRA Top Beverage Retailers 2026: According to a report covered by The Hindu, the International Drinks Retailers Association (IDRA) named World of Wines, Tonique, The Liquor Fort, Hedonne, and House of Spirits as the top beverage retailers of 2026. The recognition highlights the growing sophistication of specialist independent retail in a market where volume channels are under pressure.

Trend Analysis

Two distinct but related forces are reshaping the wine and spirits industry in the final week of March 2026: the premiumization of whisky on the global stage and the structural decline of traditional spirits and wine at retail. The 2026 World Whiskies Awards — with their global roster of winners and Scotland's continued dominance — confirm that consumers who are drinking whisky are trading up, seeking provenance and distinction. Yet the NIQ retail data tells a sobering parallel story: total beverage alcohol dollars fell 2.7% in the four weeks through March 14, with spirits and wine leading declines. The sole bright spot is RTDs, now capturing enough consumer attention that Molson Coors is acquiring the Monaco brand specifically to chase that growth. Meanwhile, the Reyes/RNDC distribution deal and WSWA's new hemp beverage resource both point to an industry scrambling to reorganize its infrastructure around a changing demand landscape — one where premium, occasion-driven categories (auction whisky, award-winning spirits) coexist uneasily with a mass-market retail environment under sustained pressure.

What to Watch

• IWSC Spirited Judging entry deadline: April 24, 2026. Spirits producers have less than a month to submit entries for the IWSC's Kentucky judging, June 1–6. The competition's growing prestige in American whiskey circles makes this a key commercial and marketing opportunity for distillers seeking international recognition.

• RTD category trajectory. With RTDs the only growing segment in the latest NIQ four-week data, watch for further M&A activity — the Molson Coors/Monaco deal may be a harbinger of more large beverage companies pivoting into the category through acquisition rather than organic growth.

• Reyes/RNDC market transition. The acquisition of RNDC's operations across 11 major U.S. markets will trigger significant supplier re-alignment conversations. Brands distributed through RNDC in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, and other affected states should monitor the transition timeline and begin engaging new distributor contacts proactively.