{"id":227331,"date":"2026-01-20T15:49:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/?p=227331"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:31:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:31:33","slug":"healthy-lifestyle-global-demand-for-alcohol-is-shrinking-while-producers-dont-know-what-to-do-with-stockpiled-spirits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abcmedia.am\/en\/news\/227331\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy lifestyle? Global demand for alcohol is shrinking, while producers don\u2019t know what to do with stockpiled spirits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Five of the biggest listed alcohol producers — Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Campari, Brown Forman and Rémy Cointreau — are sitting on $22bn worth of aging spirits, the highest level of inventory in more than a decade, according to their financial reports.<\/p>\n

The pile-up of stock is exacerbating drinks makers’ debt burdens and threatening to lead to a price war.<\/p>\n

Volatility is challenging for manufacturers of aging spirits, which have to forecast demand years in advance.<\/p>\n

Casks of aging spirits began to pile up after companies reacted to a Covid-19 pandemic-era boom in drinking by dramatically increasing production.<\/p>\n

Among the reasons cited for falling consumption are higher prices, economic pressures, trade barriers, and changing health trends.<\/p>\n

Investors have been debating the extent to which the downturn is being driven by more profound societal changes. Some argue that moderating alcohol consumption is primarily linked to a greater focus on health and wellbeing generally.<\/p>\n

The publication notes, however, that cutting production at this stage is risky, because if demand recovers in the coming years, companies could face a shortage of stock.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"