Jameson recorded its 27th consecutive year of growth for the year ending June 2016, with the whiskey now representing almost a quarter of Pernod Ricard's sales in the United States.
The brand, which is the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey with sales of 5.7 million cases, recorded a 12 per cent in volume growth for the year, with value growth up 16 per cent.
Irish Distillers, the Pernod Ricard subsidiary that owns Jameson and a number of other well-known whiskey brands such as Powers, Redbreast and Green Spot, said its flagship product recorded double- and triple-digit growth in 62 out of the 130 markets in which it is available.
US growth
Jameson was a key driver of Pernod Ricard’s overall performance over the year. With 23 per cent growth in the US, the brand is now a cornerstone of the group’s North American business.
Sales were boosted with the launch of Jameson Caskmates, a variation that is aged in craft-stout-seasoned oak barrels. The whiskey, which is already being exported to 30 markets, resulted in incremental value growth for the brand of 11 per cent last year.
Irish Distillers' portfolio of prestige whiskey brands (which comprises Redbreast, Green Spot and Midleton Very Rare), which are exported to 22 markets, saw growth of 24 per cent last year with sales in the US up by 17 per cent, led by Redbreast, which grew by 24 per cent.
The group said it saw a 3 per cent rise in value terms for spirits in Ireland for the year. Spirit sales in the on trade were up 2 per cent nationally.
Irish market share
The firm's whiskey brands, which have an 83 per cent market share in Ireland, performed well with Jameson up 8 per cent in value terms and Redbreast growing 34 per cent, albeit from a smaller base. Irish Distillers sold Paddy Whiskey to the New Orleans-based drinks company Sazerac earlier this year.
Visits to the Old Jameson Distillery and the Jameson Experience Midleton rose 4 per cent to 421,000 over the year under review.
The distillery, which closed yesterday until March 2017 for an €11 million revamp, recorded 296,000 visits, while its Co Cork equivalent was visited by 125,000 people.
Irish Distillers, which was formed in 1966 following a merger of John Powers & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company, employs more than 600 people in Ireland.
