The social media landscape for spirits brands has evolved significantly, with many exiting X (formerly Twitter) amid controversial changes and declining organic reach. While some brands have closed or restricted their accounts on X, others are shifting focus to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and emerging sites such as BlueSky.
Instagram remains a key platform for spirits brands due to its diverse user base and strong sales conversion potential. TikTok offers significant organic reach for new accounts, despite complex advertising restrictions, which recently eased in the US. Threads has seen a 73.6% higher engagement rate compared to X, making it an appealing alternative for audience engagement.
Hebe Richardson, founder of Drinks With Hebe, emphasizes that spirits brands should tailor their social media strategies based on brand maturity and target audience. Established brands tend to perform well on Facebook, while newer brands gain traction on TikTok. Instagram continues to offer good opportunities for reach and sales. Meanwhile, many brands avoid investing heavily in X due to its lowering effectiveness and regulatory concerns.
Below are the top 10 spirits brands leading social media engagement in 2025, evaluated on content frequency, creativity, engagement, responsiveness, relevance, and consistency. Follower counts are from May 2024.
- 10. Olmeca Altos – 124,841 followers. Known for playful celebrity-led campaigns, including a Margarita-making campaign with actress Busy Philipps that generated user content and engagement.
- 9. Beefeater – 652,400 followers. Leveraged influencer-driven cultural campaigns, such as the viral #OnWednesdaysWeDrinkPink, resulting in millions of engagements and a surge in user-generated content.
- 6. Jameson – 744,600 followers. Expanded into gaming with a Football Manager partnership, achieving 10 million impressions and high audience engagement.
- 6. Aperol – 1,320,100 followers. Maintains brand consistency with signature branding and influencer campaigns, including Coachella festival sponsorship, driving strong user-generated content.
- 6. Grey Goose – 2,779,800 followers. Combined sport, luxury lifestyle, and event activations, notably boosting the Honey Deuce cocktail’s cultural status and sales via viral social media buzz.
- 5. Havana Club – 2,468,000 followers. Increased engagement through educational contests, seasonal bottle promotions with animated assets, and cross-category collaborations.
- 4. Teremana – 906,500 followers. Celebrity affiliation helped grow a large following with active presence across platforms, efficiently repurposing content on X.
- 3. Baileys – 5,043,449 followers. The liqueur embraces playful, shareable content promoting enjoyment, maintaining perfect consistency across channels.
- 2. Malibu – 2,420,200 followers. Balanced viral content and responsible messaging, highlighted by a summer water safety initiative featuring Olympic diver Tom Daley.
- 1. Kahlúa – 817,118 followers. Social Media Hero 2025 for its resurgence driven by creative campaigns with Salma Hayek and influencer collaborations, transforming it into a culturally relevant brand with strong multi-platform presence.