Jim Beam is expanding its UK convenience and wholesale offering with the launch of a new 35cl format across its core and flavour range. Available from 28 September, Jim Beam White, Jim Beam Pineapple and Jim Beam Black Cherry will all be available in 35cl bottles, giving retailers a broader range of pack formats and shoppers a more accessible way to purchase and explore the portfolio.
Smaller formats gain momentum
The launch comes as smaller spirit formats continue to gain momentum in UK retail. Nielsen data shows that fractionals (20cl–50cl) are growing, while traditional full-sized spirits are in decline, with convenience performing particularly strongly. Within whisky, 53% of fractional sales take place in convenience, highlighting the growing relevance of smaller formats in the channel.
For convenience retailers, Suntory Global Spirits said the new 35cl range offers an opportunity to increase choice, cater to different shopper missions and bring additional price points to the spirits fixture, without requiring the shelf space of a traditional 70cl bottle. The format also provides a lower upfront cost for shoppers, helping make the range more accessible across a wider variety of purchase occasions.
New format details
The new range will be available in both standard and price-marked pack formats. Frederick Holt, marketing manager for bourbon & portfolio brands at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “Jim Beam is the world’s No.1 bourbon, and we want more people across the UK to discover exactly why. This 35cl launch makes that easier than ever before, whether it’s someone picking up our award-winning whiskey for the very first time or a loyal Jim Beam drinker finding a new way to enjoy it. And this is just the start; we’ve got big plans for Jim Beam in 2027, with shoppers set to see the brand show up across the UK more often.”
Since becoming a new UK route-to-market, Suntory Global Spirits said it has been listening to consumers, shoppers, and retailers to understand their needs. It said a key message was that the current portfolio needed to be adapted to deliver products in more accessible formats at a more affordable price point for the convenience occasion.
Broader portfolio plans
Nick Temperley, managing director UK & Ireland at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “We’re seeing a real shift in how shoppers are buying spirits, and fractional formats are right at the heart of it. For convenience and wholesale, where choice, price point and smart use of shelf space all matter, that shift is a big opportunity for us. Bringing Jim Beam into 35cl gives our retail partners another way to meet shoppers where they are, and it’s part of a much broader move across our portfolio to get the right formats in front of the right occasions.”
The launch forms part of a wider programme from Suntory Global Spirits to expand smaller-format availability across its UK portfolio. Laphroaig 10-Year-Old is already available in a 35cl format, with further fractional launches planned across the Suntory Global Spirits portfolio during the remainder of 2026. The programme will continue into 2027, with Jim Beam White and Jim Beam Pineapple planned to launch in 5cl formats in Q1 2027, further extending opportunities to recruit shoppers into the category and encourage trial.
The new Jim Beam 35cl range includes Jim Beam White, Jim Beam Pineapple and Jim Beam Black Cherry, each available in standard and price-marked packs. The range is available from 28 September in standard and £11.89 PMP in Booker, Bestway, Parfetts, United Wholesale and Co-op, with more to follow.
