GLOBAL WHISKEY MARKET

Irish whiskey sales grew by 140% from 2010 to 2020, according to the Irish Whiskey Association, which represents 46 distillers. In February 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the 12-month rolling total for global sales exceeded 12m cases. Through 2020, sales declined to 11.4m cases, largely due to the impact of restrictions on global travel retail.

North America and Europe account for c.84% of Irish whiskey sales. In 2020, sales doubled in Nigeria and there was steady growth in Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand and Zambia. Across all major markets, notes the IWA, 2020 saw a continuation in the trend towards premium-and-above Irish whiskey.