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 Cognac sales surged by a nearly a third last year as American and Chinese drinkers guzzled old vintages, in the latest sign premium drinks makers are putting the pandemic behind them.

Sales of the brandy, produced in the Cognac region of France, rose by almost 31% in value to 3.6 billion euros ($4.1 billion), industry group BNIC said on Monday.Volumes were up 16% to 223.2 million bottles.

“This growth reflects a real recovery of cognac, as well as new consumption habits,” BNIC said in a statement, noting sales had also risen compared with 2019, before the pandemic struck.

The outlook should remain positive in the coming months for all destinations, BNIC added.

The news comes after France’s champagne industry said last month it expected record sales in 2021, and follows strong results from several spirits companies.

Cognac sales to its largest market, the United States, climbed 11%, with 115 million bottles shipped in 2021.

Sales to China, its second biggest, leapt 56% with 34 million bottles shipped, while European sales were up 8% to reach 37.1 million bottles.

In late November, spirits group Remy Cointreau raised its full-year profit forecast after a better-than-expected first half, driven by strong demand for its premium cognac in China, the United States and Europe.

Pernod Ricard, which owns Martell cognac, also pointed to a jump in sales in China.

The 2021 harvest, at 867,312 hectolitres, was within the 10-year average and should support further growth for the sector, BNIC said.

The spirit’s phenomenal growth chimes with a prediction made last year by Spiros Malandrakis, head of research – alcoholic drinks at Euromonitor International, who forecasted that Cognac’s focus would be on China to aid performance.

“In the case of Cognac, it’s focusing on China, and China has been on a massive recovery already, soon to be reaching 2019 levels potentially by the end of this year or early next year,” Malandrakis said in June 2021. “China is witnessing a much stronger bounce back [than other nations] as it’s not really had any more lockdowns; essentially, China is coming from the future, it’s what will happen in other countries once they also bounce back.”