Irish whiskey sales have soared over the past decade, with the recent resurgence of the Irish drinks industry resulting in impressive year-on-year growth.
Irish whiskey accounted for around three quarters of global whiskey production in the 19th century, before it entered a period of decline in the 20th century, being overtaken by Scotch and other variants.
Recently, the number of whiskey distilleries in Ireland has grown to over 40, which is a testament to the resilience and longevity of premium Irish whiskey – with the industry recording a 14% increase in sales in 2024 according to Bord Bia.
All whiskey labelled Irish whiskey must be distilled on the island of Ireland as it is protected by European Geographical Indication, and 90 percent of Irish whiskey is exported. Sales are increasing in key markets such as India – which now dominates global consumption and distillation.
Irish whiskey exports to the country increased by over 100% in 2024, making it the industry’s fastest growing market. Such markets could become more vital in the future as isolationist trade policies are introduced.
Here in Ireland, however, Irish whiskey continues to lead the way with few consumers opting for American whiskey or Scotch. In terms of overall spirit market share, whiskey sits at 26%, just behind vodka (30%) and well ahead of gin (13%).
Whiskey’s strong market share in Ireland is valuable to the Irish economy, with the brewing and distilling sector supporting more than 10,000 jobs. It also contributes to employment in the tourism, agriculture and hospitality sectors.
More distilleries are being developed to add to the 40 currently in operation, and many are small independent premium whiskey producers. However, a lot of the most well-known whiskey brands around the world are Irish.Â
Jameson is the only Irish whiskey in the top ten globally and is produced by the Midleton Distiller owned by Pernod Ricard, which also produces Redbreast and Powers among others.Â
Due to the meteoric rise of Irish whiskey over the past few years, it is expected that sales of Irish whiskey will once again surpass Scotch by the end of the decade.
It has been 700 years since the term whiskey was introduced as an Anglicisation of the Irish translation for aqua vitae. And it is likely that Irish whiskey, and increasingly premium whiskeys, will continue to be a major player both at home and internationally for another 700.
