A leading drinks distributor says sales this year are likely to hit €75 million.

Barry & Fitzwilliam, which claims to be the biggest independent wine and spirits distributor in the State, predicted yesterday that turnover will hit €75 million by the end of the year.

Managing director Michael Barry said yesterday that the Cork-based company aims to hit €100 million by 2010.

Margins in the drinks distribution business tend to run at around 5 per cent, indicating profits of over €3.5 million.

Mr Barry said yesterday that one of the year's big sellers has been Corona beer, the Mexican brand which was originally launched here during the nineties.

"In terms of our business, it's about 20 per cent," he said.

That translates as €40 million worth of retail sales. (Barry & Fitzwilliam's turnover is based on the wholesale price of its products.)

The company also distributes Teachers scotch, Famous Grouse scotch and Jaegermeister, the German liqueur popular with Irish twentysomethings. It sales of Jaegermeister are likely to hit 15,000 cases (180,000 individual bottles) this year.

Wines are a key part of its portfolio. It is due to begin distributing Brown Brothers, an Australian label, from next January, a contract it has taken over from the DCC-owned Woodford Bourne operation.