Cheers: Russian consumers have a thirst for NI whiskey
SALES of Irish whiskey are soaring in Russia, and the country is now the second biggest market in the world, according to data from the Irish Whiskey Association.
Premium brands, including Bushmills, are proving increasingly popular in the country, while smaller companies, including Co Down’s Hinch Distillery, are taking advantage of the growing market.
Russia is the second largest geographic market with sales of 605,800 cases, or 7.3m bottles, for the last recorded year in 2019, up 231% since 2010.
The details come from the Irish Whiskey Association, as reported by bne Intellinews, a European business news site.
Irish whiskey sales in Russia are second only to the US, overtaking the UK, France, South Africa and the domestic Irish market.
“We deal directly with one of the most premium retail chains in Russia — Azbuka Vkusa. Our brands are in over 400 stores in Moscow and St Petersburg,” said Michael Morris, international sales director at Hinch Distillery.
“Both Hinch Irish Whiskey and Ninth Wave Irish Gin are targeting the ever-growing number of consumers who are attracted to premium spirits which deliver in both quality taste and high-level brand values,” said Mr Morris.
“These consumers are also attracted to brands which deliver authenticity in their story and a provenance which can only be delivered from distillation at a real working, craft distillery.”
Bushmills upped its profile last month as the sponsor of the country’s Irish film festival.
Hinch Distillery is aiming to target international markets with its Craft & Casks collection.
“Our new Craft & Casks range is a delectable partnership between Hinch Distillery and two Irish craft breweries, which produces three distinctly flavoured beer barrel aged whiskeys,” said head distiller Aaron Flaherty. “The union of whiskey with craft beer barrels is an emerging trend within the distilling industry and demand is surging.”