Irish Distillers sees demand soar as Jameson whiskey achieves record sales

Sales surpassed the 10 million case mark for the first, surpassing the 8.6 million cases of Jameson sold in its previous financial year.

In Ireland, the spirits market grew by 8pc in 2021. Irish Distillers reported that sales of Jameson in Ireland rose by a fifth in its financial year to the end of June.

Almost half of Jameson cases were sold in the United States, with Irish Distillers reporting that 4.5 million cases were sold there for the first time.

Overall, Irish whiskey was the third fastest growing category in the US in 2021, selling roughly 5.9 million 9L cases

The return of travel retail also contributed to Irish Distiller’s growth across the year, with sales of Jameson in this category soaring by 157pc as demand for travel returned.

Jameson also grew in popularity in emerging markets, including India, Bulgaria and Zambia where sales went beyond the 100,000 case mark for the first time.

Irish Distillers also noted that consumers were embracing more premium products, with sales of the group’s prestige range, including Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare and Spot ranges, rising by 16pc across the year.

This was also reflected in Ireland. Prestige Irish whiskey sales rose by just over a quarter in this period.

“Our strategy has been laser-focused on growing the Jameson brand and awareness of the Irish whiskey category more generally. As the results today show, this has been incredibly successful and has solidified Jameson as a truly global brand,” chairman and CEO Nodjame Fouad said.

He acknowledged that “various issues on the global stage” are leading to uncertainty for both businesses and consumers and added “we will continue to deliver on our business strategy and ensure that we have measures in place to manage any potential challenges.”