International Wine & Spirit Research

What International Wine & Spirit Research does

IWSR is a London-headquartered, privately held subscription data and analytics firm that has been the recognized reference point for the global beverage alcohol industry since its founding in 1971. The company maintains a proprietary longitudinal database covering 160+ markets across beer, wine, spirits, RTDs, and no/low-alcohol categories, combined with consumer sentiment tracking (Bevtrac across 15 key markets), US state-level consumption data (US Navigator), on-trade hospitality channel metrics (On-trade Value), and quarterly innovation trend reports (Radius Innovation Tracker). Its product set also includes the Global Forecast Suite (2025), the 1nSpirit Travel Retail Data Hub developed with m1nd-set, strategic studies, and bespoke consulting engagements. AI-enabled data analysis techniques are layered on top of the longitudinal dataset and a global network of in-market analysts.

IWSR operates as a B2B sales-led subscription business, sold through a direct sales team targeting global beverage alcohol multinationals, ingredient and packaging suppliers, distributors, and financial institutions. Pricing is enterprise and undisclosed, with annual billing cadence and consultative selling through callback requests rather than self-service. Distribution runs entirely through the dedicated client platform at research.theiwsr.com plus custom consulting work.

The company is currently a subsidiary of WGSN, the Apax Partners-backed global consumer trend forecaster, which acquired IWSR in June 2025 from Bowmark Capital. WGSN's stated intent is to combine IWSR's proprietary beverage alcohol dataset with its own early-signal consumer forecasting methodology, extending IWSR's footprint beyond alcohol into the broader food and beverage sector. IWSR also acquired Wine Intelligence in January 2021 to deepen its wine market research and consumer insights capabilities. The company maintains offices in London, Singapore, and the United States, and holds Cyber Essentials certification.

Name

International Wine & Spirit Research

Legal name

IWSR Drinks Market Analysis Limited

Website

https://theiwsr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IWSR is a London-based subscription data and analytics firm providing proprietary longitudinal market intelligence, forecasts, consumer insights, and innovation tracking to global beverage alcohol producers, suppliers, distributors, and financial institutions across 160+ markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Alcohol Market Intelligence

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Database/Application Data Layer Modernization (DB migration, ORM, caching) (BPAEAFAL)

Keywords

• Beverage alcohol data
• Market intelligence analytics
• Consumer insights research
• Drinks industry forecasting
• Alcohol market intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Data and Analytics Subscriptions: IWSR operates primarily as a subscription-based business intelligence firm. Clients subscribe to access proprietary market data, analytics dashboards, forecasts, and strategic reports through the IWSR client platform. The platform provides visualization tools and data access covering global markets, drivers of change, and market evolution strategies.
2. Custom Research and Consulting: Custom research engagements and consulting services tailored to specific client needs, as referenced in their research offerings and analyst consultations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IWSR is a B2B subscription data and analytics provider delivering proprietary longitudinal market data, forecasts, consumer insights, and innovation intelligence for the global beverage alcohol industry. Its core platform — the Global Database — serves as the industry-standard reference for multinational spirits, beer, and wine businesses, supplemented by the Global Forecast Suite, Bevtrac, US Navigator, On-trade Value, Radius Innovation Tracker, and a library of strategic studies, plus expert consulting services.

Product overview

IWSR offers a unified platform architecture centered on its Global Database, which serves as the central data repository feeding all analytical products. The portfolio includes the Global Forecast Suite for long-term projections, Bevtrac for consumer sentiment tracking, US Navigator for granular US market data, On-trade Value for hospitality channel insights, Radius Innovation Tracker for trendspotting, and Strategic Studies and Reports covering RTDs, no/low-alcohol, wine, and sparkling wine categories. The company also provides expert Consulting services. Following its 2025 acquisition by WGSN (a global trend forecasting company), IWSR's data capabilities are being integrated with WGSN's consumer behavior forecasting methodology to enhance predictive insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Database IWSR's core data platform providing proprietary longitudinal beverage alcohol market data, forecasts, and comprehensive global market coverage. Described as 'the only common database' in the industry and used from board meetings through to daily operational discussions by leading global wine and spirits companies.
• Global Forecast Suite Comprehensive forecasting tool projecting $34 billion in beverage alcohol growth across leading markets over the next decade, providing long-term market outlooks and projections.
• Bevtrac Consumer behavior and attitudes research product tracking consumer sentiment across 15 key markets through quarterly surveys, providing behavioral insights for beverage alcohol brands.
• US Navigator Granular, state-by-state detail on US alcohol consumption trends, providing localized market intelligence for clients targeting the US beverage alcohol market.
• On-trade Value Data on the on-trade (bars, restaurants) channel value, tracking consumption and spending patterns in hospitality venues for the beverage alcohol industry.
• Radius Innovation Tracker Trendspotting service providing quarterly reports on significant beverage alcohol new product development (NPD) and trend reports. The product has been established for over 20 years and is editorially led by the Radius Editor.
• Strategic Studies and Reports Comprehensive strategic studies including RTD Strategic Study, No/Low-Alcohol Strategic Study, Sparkling Wine Landscape Reports, and Wine Landscapes Reports for various markets (e.g., Canada, Australia).
• Consulting Expert consulting services leveraging IWSR data and analyst expertise to provide strategic guidance for beverage alcohol industry clients, delivered via the firm's Head of Consulting practice.
• 1nSpirit Travel Retail Data Hub Joint travel retail marketing intelligence platform developed in partnership with m1nd-set, providing global travel retail (GTR) channel insights for the beverage alcohol industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global Database serves as industry standard reference used by leading companies for board meetings and daily discussions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global beverage alcohol industry clientscoreOthersIWSR serves clients including multinational spirits, beer, and wine businesses; packaging and ingredient manufacturers; distributors; and financial institutions who rely on IWSR data as an integral part of their strategic planning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Euromonitor International: Global market research firm providing syndicated data and insights across consumer goods, including beverage alcohol. Both operate subscription B2B intelligence platforms serving multinational producers and are widely cited as industry reference points.
• Mintel: Consumer market research firm providing syndicated reports and consumer insights across food, drink, and lifestyle categories, including beverage alcohol. Operates a subscription model with category reports, forecasts, and consumer data similar in structure to IWSR's product suite.

Broad incumbents

• NielsenIQ: Large-scale consumer intelligence and retail measurement firm covering FMCG globally, including beverage alcohol. Overlaps with IWSR in serving multinational producers and financial institutions but operates a much broader portfolio of measurement products.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights firm serving consumer goods and retail clients, including alcoholic beverages. Comparable to IWSR in B2B subscription intelligence serving multinational brands, with a broader portfolio beyond alcoholic drinks.
• Circana: Retail and consumer intelligence firm (formerly IRI/SymphonyAI) providing measurement, analytics, and insights for CPG including beverage alcohol. Comparable B2B subscription model serving multinational producers and retailers.

Emerging players

• Mordor Intelligence: Market research firm publishing syndicated industry reports and forecasts across multiple verticals including beverage alcohol. Competes on the lower end of the market intelligence price/value spectrum relative to IWSR's premium subscription positioning.
• Future Market Insights: Market intelligence and forecasting firm producing syndicated reports and bespoke research across food and beverage verticals. Overlaps with IWSR in providing forward-looking market sizing and category forecasts to CPG clients.
• SPINS: Consumer intelligence and retail data provider for natural, organic, and specialty products including beverage alcohol. Comparable B2B subscription data model serving CPG brands with category and consumer insights.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theiwsr
• Facebookfacebook.com/theiwsr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-iwsr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Wine & Spirit Research