#irish-whiskey

#irish-whiskey

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.).

Endo Kazutoshi's name is all over London. It's on Endo at the Rotunda (notoriously one of the city's hardest-to-book restaurants); it's on the top floor of Raffles at the OWO in the form of Kioku at Endo; and it's more discreetly on the bill at Niju, a swanky Japanese spot in Mayfair. And now, it's on the label of a bottle of whiskey.

Investors in Irish whiskey distilleries are panicking as the global slowdown in alcohol continues to hammer the industry, with some of the most promising producers recently shutting up shop.

Irish whiskey has faced significant challenges despite its historical resilience, with recent months proving particularly tough for many distilleries in the country.

Donald Trump's proposed 200% tariff on European alcoholic beverages, particularly targeting Irish whiskey, threatens severe damage to the Irish whiskey sector, heavily reliant on US exports.

"I was aware of these when I joined the company in 1998... I was always told they were special, even if there was nothing special in mind with regards to what to actually do with them."