Irish Whiskey Is Gaining Ground Around the World

"As Eoin Ó Catháin, the director of the Irish Whiskey Association, recently pointed out, "While we are selling more Irish Whiskey in volume than ever before, the value of our category is not increasing at the same rate, reflecting the pressures on spirits categories all over the world." The organization recently published the Irish Whiskey Global Trade Report 2025, which encompasses both reasons for excitement (heightened demand in India) and sources of frustration (slightly reduced demand in the U.S.)."

"The two largest export markets for Irish whiskey - the United States and Poland - both showed slight declines in the overall number of cases sold between 2023 and 2024.However, the third and fourth-largest countries by export volume - Germany and India - both also saw significant year-over-year growth. Germany saw the fourth-highest level of growth, with exports increasing by 24.26% from 2023 to 2024.India ranked second for growth, with an impressive 120.88% growth during the same period."

"The sheer amount of volume is also worth taking into consideration. In 2024, Irish distilleries exported 5.47 million cases of whiskey to the U.S.; the next four of the top five markets by volume all received less than one million cases of whiskey over the course of the year. Irish whiskey exports to Poland, Germany, and India were all just over 700,000 cases in 2024; exports to the U.K. were just under 700,000."

Irish whiskey reached record sales volume while value growth lagged, reflecting pressures across spirits categories. Exports to the United States and Poland declined slightly between 2023 and 2024. Germany and India recorded significant year-over-year growth, with Germany up 24.26% and India up 120.88%. Japan registered the highest percentage increase at 123.94%. In 2024, Irish distilleries exported 5.47 million cases to the U.S.; the next four markets each received under one million cases. Exports to Poland, Germany, and India were just over 700,000 cases, while exports to the U.K. were just under 700,000. U.S. export share has dropped from prior 40–50% levels but remains the key market.

Read at InsideHook