Sober calculation: why customers choose liqueurs instead of ready-made cocktails
Russians are losing interest in low-alcohol products. Its sales in January–February fell by 61% compared to the same period last year, to 129.9 thousand decaliters (dal). At the same time, sales of alcoholic beverages (LVI) are growing, they increased by 15.2%, amounting to 3,252 million dal. Strong alcohol gives customers a noticeably better price-alcohol ratio than ready-made low-alcohol cocktails, experts say. Therefore, part of the demand has naturally shifted towards these products as a more economical way to achieve the same effect. How the alcohol market in Russia is changing — in the material of Izvestia.
Simple math
Sales of low–alcohol products in Russia in January-February 2026 fell to 129.9 thousand dal, a decrease of 61% compared to last year. This is evidenced by data from Rosalokoltabakkontrol.
Grape—containing drinks without ethyl alcohol, fruit alcoholic beverages and liqueur wines became less frequent - sales fell by 43.5%, 32% and 11.6%, respectively. Demand also decreased for grape wine, cognac and other alcoholic beverages.
At the same time, sales of alcoholic beverages are growing in the country. They increased by 15.2%, to 3,252 million dal. Russians began to buy sparkling wine (+3.2%) and grape-containing drinks with ethyl alcohol (+1.7%) more actively. At the same time, vodka sales increased by 0.6% to 11.564 million dal.
In general, the demand reduction trend continued in January–February. Alcohol sales excluding beer drinks, cider, poire and mead decreased by 1.1% to 31.8 million dal.
The press service of Rosalokoltabakcontrol, in an interview with Izvestia, recalled that the trend towards a decrease in sales of low-alcohol products in Russia has persisted since the second half of 2024. This is due to a change in the excise tax calculation procedure, which provoked a partial flow of these products into the beer drinks segment.
Sales of alcoholic beverages in percentage terms have indeed increased significantly, the service confirmed. However, in physical terms, the increase in retail sales in two months amounted to 428 thousand dal, which, according to the agency, is not so much.
Rosalokoltabakcontrol did not talk about a change in consumer preferences, emphasizing that it makes sense to conduct an analysis over longer periods of time, because the beginning of the year is not always an indicator of large-scale industry changes.
"In addition, it is necessary to take into account the significant difference between the audience purchasing low—alcohol products and alcoholic beverages," the press service added.
The bubbles burst
The increase in excise taxes has become a significant factor in reducing the segment of low-alcohol products, confirms Oleg Pavlov, Chairman of the Public Council at Rospotrebnadzor, head of the public organization Public Consumer Initiative. Low-alcohol cocktails, in particular, have faced an increasing fiscal burden in several areas at once, which is why their production and sale have become significantly less profitable.
— The increase in excise taxes has crippled the segment of low-alcohol cocktails with a huge rusty scythe. Last year, sales fell by 87% (a single first quarter — by 89% year—on—year), the first two months of this year - by another minus 61% compared to the previous, already sad results, - says Oleg Nikolaev, co-founder of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers Sevastopol, winemaker.
It can be said that the increase in excise taxes on low—alcohol products on May 1, 2024 and the two subsequent indexations — from January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026 - have almost eliminated this segment, said Pavel Shapkin, Chairman of the National Consumer Protection Union.
— In the first two months of 2024, 2.96 million dal of low-alcohol products were sold, and in January–February 2026 — 0.13 million dal. In two years, volumes have fallen by almost 23 times," the expert cites statistics.
This has contributed to an increase in retail prices, reduced product availability, a reduction in the range and the withdrawal of some manufacturers from the category, says Pavlov. The average price of a can of low-alcohol cocktail has increased by about 15-25% compared to last year, he draws attention.
—If earlier the mass price range was about 70-90 rubles per jar, then at the beginning of 2026 a significant part of the positions were already in the range of 99.90–199.90 rubles," the Izvestia interlocutor notes.
At the same time, low-alcohol cocktails have not disappeared by themselves, Nikolaev reminds. It's just that now "cocktails in cans" are considered beer drinks.
— The composition is slightly different (instead of ethyl alcohol, fermentation alcohol is used), and the excise tax is four times lower. And this phenomenon has not been studied by any statistics yet," the expert emphasizes.
The trend towards replacing expensive low-alcohol cocktails with beer-based drinks has been observed for almost 10 years, says Alexander Anfinogenov, an independent expert on the FMCG market. In addition, a steadily growing segment of grape-containing beverages with ethyl alcohol is being formed.
— Nothing changes for the consumer — the same cans and bottles, the same brands, the same tastes and at an affordable price. But the accounting system is calculated in a different way. The number of residents of the Russian Federation does not change much, no one is going to drink more or more often, which means that what is happening is nothing more than a redistribution of volumes and budgets in the segments of the general alcohol market," the Izvestia interlocutor believes.
It is also important that the so—called cocktails in cans are now a rather niche category that does not play a significant role in the market, says Alexander Stavtsev, head of the WineRetail information center.
— The group of low-alcohol products includes all fermented beverages, including beer. When the sales data is available, it will be possible to discuss some trends. Current statistics are a very short period for analysis and incomplete market data," he warns.
It should also be borne in mind that in the understanding of consumers, low alcohol also includes cider, poiret and mead, sales of which increased by 0.5–1% year-on-year, adds Anfinogenov. The dynamics of sparkling wine sales growth is also indicative.
The bid for the fortress
Under the current conditions, strong alcohol gives customers a noticeably more favorable price-alcohol ratio than ready-made low-alcohol cocktails, Oleg Pavlov believes. Therefore, part of the demand has naturally shifted towards these products as a more economical way to achieve the same effect.
In this case, alcoholic beverages were chosen by consumers who value the sweet, mild, fruity taste typical of low-alcohol cocktails, the expert explains. LVI manufacturers are actively expanding their lines of tinctures, liqueurs and other flavoring drinks, which attracts customers.
The popularity of LVI continues to grow, because pure mathematics allows their manufacturers to save about 85 rubles on excise tax from each 0.5-liter bottle, says Oleg Nikolaev.
— And the consumer is faced with a choice — to take vodka without taste for the same money or some kind of drink with a claim — on herbs and berries, albeit with 20 degrees instead of 40. As you can see, the latter option seems more interesting," he emphasizes.
The growth in sales of alcoholic beverages shows, first of all, more rational consumer behavior: the buyer chooses the category that seems to him more advantageous in terms of price, taste and strength, the expert is convinced.
In addition, consumers are now gradually learning how to make cocktails based on whiskey, rum, vodka and other spirits, so the demand for such drinks is growing, Pavel Shapkin draws attention.
— Homemade cocktails have become an alternative to the old ready-made, more expensive wine and beer. This trend has only just begun to take shape, but it will continue to gain strength," the Izvestia interlocutor expects.
The majority of consumers will leave the beer segment, he predicts. This category now accounts for about 80% of alcohol sales in liters. Reducing the beer market by even 1% will give strong drinks an increase of 5-10%.
In other words, current statistics rather indicate a redistribution of demand within alcohol categories under price pressure and a decrease in the availability of some products. At the same time, there is no question of Russians abandoning a healthy lifestyle, Nikolaev believes.
The trend towards healthy lifestyle remains relevant, and the number of its supporters is constantly increasing, which is reflected, among other things, in the steady decline in total alcohol consumption in Russia, Pavlov is sure. In particular, Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko previously noted that between 2009 and 2025, Russians began to drink 1.7 times less alcohol, the expert recalls.
But Alexander Stavtsev is in no hurry to draw conclusions about the change in consumer preferences based on Rosalokoltabakcontrol statistics. The category of low-alcohol products, according to him, has really been "dying" lately due to high excise taxes and the withdrawal of generic sparkling wine into cider and beer drinks. But alcoholic beverages are more of an alternative to vodka. The increase in demand for them is associated with a cheaper price against the background of changes in the minimum retail price.
In turn, Gennady Oparin, chairman of the Union of Farmers of Wineries, head of the Semigorye peasant farm, expects that demand from low-alcohol beverages will eventually be redistributed in favor of wine. This will be largely due to the fact that farm wines and wines of the ZSU (protected geographical indication) have excise tax benefits, which affects the cost of products.
With a general decrease in consumption, most Russians would switch to domestic wine if the Ministry of Finance revised its approach to wine taxation, Shapkin is convinced. This can make Russian wine more affordable, which will be a better support for viticulture and winemaking in the country.
At the same time, there is already a tendency to change the rotation of alcoholic beverages on the shelves, Pavlov believes. Retailers are increasingly reducing the area for light alcohol and increasing the presence of strong alcohol, primarily vodka and alcoholic beverages.
— The reason is that strong alcohol usually gives a higher yield per unit of shelf space, turns around better and turns out to be more stable in demand. The shelf is becoming more pragmatic: the networks leave what sells more stable and profitable," the expert explains.
However, the sales leaders in the segment of low-alcohol beverages are still sold in stores, says Alexander Anfinogenov. And their number depends on the format of the outlet.
Oparin does not predict any major changes on the shelves in the future. The redistribution within the margin of error, in his opinion, may amount to 10%.
"But prices don't change globally, and people won't drink less, so there won't be any major changes," the Izvestia source sums up.
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