Strong performance in a series of Asian markets has driven modest sales growth for Irish whiskey in the first half of the year.
The sector’s sales in the US saw a slight decline prior in the first half of 2025, which is likely to be before the impact of tariffs, according to new data from ISWR.
IWSR, previously known as the International Wine and Spirits Record, provides beverage alcohol data and insights. Its first half data comes from 20 markets which cover 75 per cent of the global beverage market by volume, the data does not include Ireland.
In these markets during the first six months of the year, Irish whiskey sales by volume rise two per cent against the same period in 2024.
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This came despite a eight per cent decline in the US market, the sector’s biggest market by a significant margin.
Data from Bord Bia show that the US market accounts for more than 40 per cent of all Irish whiskey exports, or about €420 million of the whiskey sector’s €1 billion in global exports and an even greater share of its premium exports.
The overall growth was driven by strong sales in the other 19 markets, which grew six per cent collectively.
The two largest growth markets for the sector being India, which saw sales increase by 28 per cent, and Japan which saw demand rise 22 per cent.
The UK was also a strong market for the Irish industry, with exports rising eight per cent during the first half of the year.
The growth in Irish whiskey sales comes against a mild decline in the consumption of all alcohol products, which fell one per cent during the period.
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The global data suggests that sales in 0.0 or no-alcohol spirits volumes grew significantly, recording nine per cent growth year on year, though from a small base sales figure. This growth was strongest in established western markets, such as Germany, up 15 per cent, and the US up 19 per cent.
Emily Neill, IWSR chief operating officer for research, said that global sales of ready-to-drink alcohol products are rising but demand for beer and wine has declined.
Ms Neill said that despite “consistent volume pressures” in some of the largest markets for alcoholic products, there are “pockets of growth”, pointing to Mexico, South African and India. She projected India’s alcohol sales to surpass Japan by 2027 and to overtake Germany in 2033.
