Overall, the news about various categories of whiskey has not been great in recent months—the American whiskey market has softened and some distilleries are cutting back production, craft spirits are in a slump, and rare scotch sales are down by about 40 percent. But one category that defied those trends with some good news, according to a recent report, is Irish whiskey which saw a 13 percent rise in exports in 2024.
The data comes from the Export Performance and Prospects Report for 2024/25 published by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. For years, Irish whiskey has been touted as potentially being the next big category for the brown spirit. That hasn’t quite happened yet, but brands like Jameson and Bushmills continue to do big business around the world, and the number of distilleries in the country exploded from just four to more than 40 in a little over a decade. The U.S. is the biggest market for Irish whiskey, with about 40 percent of the category arriving here, and exports increased by 11 percent as Americans continued to drink Irish whiskey (mostly the aforementioned big brands, but smaller producers as well). Canadians also apparently enjoy their blends and single pot stills, with exports there increasing by nearly 30 percent. The only market that saw a decline was the U.K., where Irish whiskey exports dropped by 10 percent after a solid year of growth in 2023.
Irish spirits exports overall, including beer, liqueur, and gin, increased by nearly 20 percent, the equivalent of more than $2 billion. Last year marked the first time that Irish whiskey sales surpassed a billion dollars since 2022, making up about half of that windfall, and it was a significant shift for the category after a 14 percent decline in 2023. Despite this good news, the same headwinds that other whiskey categories and producers are feeling apply to Ireland as well. “While whiskey put in a good performance, the market remains very competitive,” Bord Bia wrote in its report. “Several factors impacted the whiskey trade in 2024 including slow depletion rates, price pressures, and brand consolidation from both retail and on-trade customers.”
The report went on to note that, like other categories, consumers are shifting away from buying premium spirits to less expensive options, and it expects a challenging marketplace to persist this year. And, as we’ve been reporting recently, the threat of a new round of Trump tariffs remain top of mind. “Much depends on whether the new administration in the United States introduces tariffs on imported drink products,” said the report. “If this is the case, there will be strong headwinds facing the sector in 2025.” We will continue to update you on the state of Irish whiskey, and all whiskey categories, in the coming months as the new year, and new presidency, get underway.
