[Drinks Trade] Market Monitor

Despite all the excitement surrounding premium bottled ale, the ale category is the worst-performing area for the off-trade in terms of share of the market. But the on-trade is also seeing double the decline in ale: 2% compared to 1% in take-home. Long drinks remain far more popular in pubs and bars than in the off-trade, though wine remains a trump card of the take-home sector. Indeed, according to AC Nielsen, in some fortified wine categories, such as Montilla, the off-trade has a 100% share.