Walk up and down the aisles of your favorite liquor superstore and you'll experience the dizzying number of choices that are available to the average consumer. Some of the larger retail outlets, for example, will have double aisles filled with just one category; hundreds of gins, hundreds of vodkas, masses of mezcals and tequilas.

To look at all those choices, it would be easy to assume that they represent many hundreds of companies, but the reality is that a vast number of major brands in the marketplace are owned by a small handful of alcohol conglomerates.

Who are these spirits behemoths? Five companies dominate the playing field:

1. Diageo: Trying to decide between Smirnoff, Ketel One, or Ciroc for your vodka purchase? Well, all three are owned by Diageo. Looking at Scotch or Bourbon? You can choose from Diageo’s Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell's, Bulleit, Lagavulin, The Singleton, Buchanan's, Black & White, Grand Old Parr, Talisker, Haig, or Cardhu. Diageo's impressive portfolio also includes Tanqueray gin, Don Julio and Casamigos tequilas, Captain Morgan spiced rum, and Bailey's. With more than 200 brands in its control, the company's 2023 net sales figure of $23.8 billion makes them the global leader in spirits sales by far (more than double the number two).
2. Pernod Ricard: This French-owned giant is the second-largest major player, boasting iconic brands like Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin, Chivas Regal Scotch whisky, Jameson whiskey, Havana Club rum, and Malibu liqueur and controlling about 235 other labels. Their 2023 revenue of $11.3 billion is a testament to their global reach, with a market share exceeding 14% in the worldwide wine and spirits market.
3. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton: LVMH is more than just alcohol: It's a luxury conglomerate that encompasses dozens of fashion and lifestyle brands, but also includes about 30 prestigious spirits brands such as Hennessy cognac, Dom Pérignon champagne, Glenmorangie single malt Scotch, Ardbeg whisky, and Belvedere vodka. The Moët Hennessy division alone brought in $6.4 billion in revenue for LVMH in 2023, which puts them third in global spirits hierarchy.
4. Brown-Forman Corporation: This American company is known for its focus on bourbon and whiskey, with brands like Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey, Woodford Reserve bourbon, and Old Forrester. Their 2023 net sales of $5.8 billion demonstrates the strength of American whiskey on the global stage, with Jack Daniel's alone estimated to command a market share of more than 50% of the Tennessee whiskey category.
5. Sazerac Company: Another American giant, Sazerac is famous for its Sazerac rye whiskey, but their portfolio also includes Fireball cinnamon whisky, Southern Comfort liqueur, Buffalo Trace bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, and roughly 445 other alcohol brands. Sazerac is estimated to exceed $3 billion in revenue annually.

In addition to all the brands that fall under the umbrella of the top 5 largest conglomerates, there are hundreds of brands that sell themselves as "craft" or "small" when they are, in fact, rather large. Tito's Vodka, for example, was certainly at one time "handmade," but this company sold 88 million bottles in 2022, recently overtook Smirnoff in sales, and now has an estimated annual revenue of more than $1 billion.

While the "Big Bev" companies dominate the market share (and their products are, by and large, of excellent quality), there is still a wealth of diversity to enjoy from the truly small and independent producers. Local craft breweries, independent wineries, and regional distilleries operate in nearly every major population center in America and their products often never travel much beyond their immediate region. The Brewers Association estimates that there are over 9,700 breweries in the US alone, about 9,500 of which are considered to be "craft." There are 2,750 craft distilleries in the US. These smaller players often utilize the highest-quality ingredients, develop cutting-edge brewing, vinifying, and distilling techniques, and offer innovation and creativity in categories where larger brands may not dare to go.