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Perhaps surprisingly, in the 19th century, it was Irish whiskey, not Scotch, that dominated the market, with two-thirds of all whiskey sold in London originating in Ireland and accounting for 60 per cent of global whiskey sales. However, after a tumultuous period in the country’s history that took in revolution, independence and civil war, and one of the Irish whiskey’s biggest importers, the United States, introducing Prohibition in 1920, a steady period of decline was inevitable. By the 1960s, only three distilleries were operating in the country.
Fast forward to 2023, and Irish whiskey is making a comeback. Ireland is now selling 14 million cases a year, up from 200,000 in 1990, and the figure is forecast to double by 2030, overtaking Scotch.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, more than 6.1 million cases of Irish whiskey were sold in the US last year, increasing more than 1,150 per cent from 20 years ago. That translates to $1.4bn in sales value. Sales in the US allowed whiskey to reach more than $1bn in exports for the first time.
William Lavelle, director of the Irish Whiskey Association, says this was “an important milestone in the Irish whiskey renaissance.”
Although Irish whiskey is making a fast comeback, it still has a way to go before it closes the gap with Scotch, which reportedly reached £6.2bn in exports in 2022.
Even so, Irish whiskey “grew faster than any other major whiskey type between 2016 and 2021,” said Research Director Humphrey Serjeantson from drinks market consultancy IWSR. He adds, “We would expect that growth to continue.”
Since the 60s, when there were only three distilleries in operation in Ireland, the number of distilleries has risen tenfold, with worldwide sales now exceeding 14 million cases.
To meet the increasing demand for Irish whiskey, 3.5mn casks are maturing across the country, with distillers constantly looking to produce premium and innovative products.
Jameson, the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world, dominating the market, sold 6.4mn cases in the first half of 2022, including 2.5mn in the US, after a 22 per cent increase in 2021-22 amounted to record sales of 10.4mn cases.
But there are also a small number of distilleries climbing up to the forefront, dedicated to using the traditional “pot still” process. One of these is Boann Distillery. By combining both tradition and technology, Boann Distillery produces a spirit of truly exceptional quality.
Boann Distillery is a family-run business in the heart of the Boyne Valley in Ireland, beside the mystical River Boyne. Voted World’s Best New Make and Young Spirit at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, the Cooney family are true pioneers in the Irish whiskey industry and have worked with the Irish government to change European legislation on single Irish pot still whiskey.
“Pot still is the most talked about subcategory of the Irish Whiskey industry.” Says Patrick J. Cooney, CEO of Boann Distillery. “And because Boann is one of the only distilleries producing pot still, I really think we’re going to see huge success over the next few years.”
Irish distillers cannot yet compete with the huge amounts of Scotch whisky stocks available, commanding extremely high prices. This makes the idea of Irish overtaking Scotch by 2030 seem a bit of a stretch.
But Patrick is certain the Irish whiskey market is heading for huge success:
“Scotch whisky is kind of flat-lining,” Patrick says. “Blends, which is the biggest part of Scotch Whisky, is declining, and malt is increasing slowly. But Irish whiskey is growing at 15 - 20% a year. The buzz around Irish whiskey now is huge - everybody is interested in Irish whiskey.”
We are thrilled to have partnered with Boann Distillery and to be offering their exquisitely crafted Irish malt and pot still whiskeys to our loyal customers. Get in touch if you’d like to explore their range.
