Diageo sales up 20% amid thirst for ‘super-premium’ spirits

International market for scotch, tequila and Chinese spirits grows as customers trade up to more expensive brands

Drinkers have been filling their glasses with super-premium" spirits, boosting the annual sales of the drinks firm Diageo by a fifth, as the return to bars and restaurants after the pandemic continues apace.

Brands such as Don Julio tequila, Johnnie Walker whisky and Casamigos - the tequila company co-founded by George Clooney - highlighted consumers' growing taste for super-premium plus brands", the company said, even at a time of rising prices and a squeeze on incomes.