U.S. spirits sales fell 3.7% in early August after summer demand faded.

U.S. spirits sales fell in the four weeks ended Aug. 8 as summer demand eased and shoppers stayed cautious, according to a new NielsenIQ market update. NIQ said dollar sales for spirits declined 3.7% from a year earlier and volume fell 3.9%, extending a period of weak performance across much of the category.

The report said the main drag came from soft consumer engagement and broader economic pressure, which NIQ estimated accounted for 91% of the decline. Those factors outweighed gains tied to product availability and promotions. On a week-to-week basis, spirits sales totaled $509.2M in the week ended Aug. 1, down 0.7% from the prior week, a sign that momentum continued to slow as late-summer demand faded.

NIQ said the category is now looking to the Labor Day holiday as the next major occasion that could lift sales. The latest data cover total spirits sales excluding prepared cocktails and are drawn from NIQ retail measurement for the four-week period ended Aug. 8.

Among the largest spirits categories, tequila continued to hold up better than vodka and whiskey. NIQ reported tequila dollar sales slipped 1.3% from a year earlier, but volume rose 1.5%, making it the closest of the major categories to returning to growth. Whiskey posted the weakest results of the three, with dollar sales down 5.0% and volume down 5.8%. Vodka also declined, with dollar sales down 4.0% and volume off 4.3%.

Outside those core categories, non-alcoholic spirits remained the strongest segment in the report. NIQ said dollar sales in that segment rose 23.4% and volume increased 26.1%. By contrast, all other spirits segments combined, including brandy, cognac, cordials, gin, grain alcohol and rum, recorded broad declines, with dollar sales down 3.7% and volume down 4.6%.

At the manufacturer level, Diageo remained the largest supplier by dollar sales, even as its sales fell 7.6% and case volume dropped by 99.5K. Sazerac ranked second and was one of the few large producers to grow, with dollar sales up 4.2% and case volume up 35.6K. Bacardi held the third spot, with dollar sales down 1.5% and case volume down 13.1K. Fifth Generation ranked fourth and posted dollar growth of 3.9%, adding 5.2K cases. Suntory Global Spirits rounded out the top five, with dollar sales down 6.5% and case volume down 45.0K.

Sazerac also led the ranking of major manufacturers by dollar growth. Fifth Generation followed, while Constellation posted the fastest increase among the remaining names in that group, with dollar sales up 28.0% and case volume up 6.7K. Heaven Hill recorded a 0.6% increase in dollar sales despite a decline of 22.6K cases, suggesting a stronger mix or pricing effect. Trinchero Family also made the top growth group, with dollar sales up 13.5% and case volume higher by 628 cases.

At the brand level, Tito’s Vodka remained the largest spirits brand by dollars in the latest four-week period. NIQ said Tito’s dollar sales rose 1.7%, while its case volume was nearly flat, down by 350 cases. Crown Royal ranked second, with dollar sales down 9.6% and case volume off 22.2K. Don Julio held the third position, with dollar sales down 6.9% and case volume down 7.7K. Jack Daniel’s ranked fourth, with dollar sales down 4.9% and case volume down 12.6K. Fireball was fifth, with dollar sales down 6.0% and case volume lower by 17.4K.

The fastest-growing brands by dollar sales were led by W.L. Weller, which posted a 124.8% increase and added 11.4K cases. Lunazul Tequila followed with dollar sales up 24.4% and case volume up 17.5K. Lalo Tequila rose 47.7% in dollars and added 5.5K cases. Svedka increased dollar sales by 14.0% and gained 32.4K cases. Cazadores also posted strong gains, with dollar sales up 22.7% and case volume up 10.7K.

The latest figures suggest that while premium tequila and non-alcoholic spirits continue to find buyers, the broader U.S. spirits market remains under pressure as the summer selling season winds down. NIQ’s reading of the period points to uneven demand across categories, with weakness in whiskey and vodka more than offsetting pockets of growth in tequila and select brands.