Here are the 30 most valuable liquor brands in the world

Check out the top 30 international spirit brands by retail sales value. Each brand includes all its different varieties and flavors.

Individually, Johnnie Walker takes the top post at $5.3 billion in worldwide annual sales. It's followed by Smirnoff at $3.4 billion, Hennessy at $3.1 billion, and Jack Daniels at $2.7 billion.

Much of the success of these brands can be attributable to the marketing and distribution power of big, publicly-traded parent companies.

"Diageo dominates, owning six of the top 30 brands including three of the top 10: Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, and Captain Morgan," writes Bank of America's Andrew Stott. "Pernod owns five of the top 30, while Bacardi owns two."