Irish whiskey is marking St Patrick's Day with a celebration as super-premium and exclusive Irish whiskeys are making an impact in America.
New figures released by Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) show the appetite for the higher end brands on offer from Ireland as demand increased over the last year.
2021 saw 851,000 thousand cases, over 10 million bottles, of super-premium-priced Irish whiskey sold in the United States, representing 14% of Irish whiskey sold in the US for the year.
Super-premium sales are up 165% since 2015 when 320,000 cases were sold, showing the popularity of Irish whiskey stateside.
A report showing the sales figures from DISCUS noted: "The Irish whiskey category has benefited from drinkers’ desire to ‘trade up’ from premium to high-end and super-premium products."
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It comes as the spirits market in the US grew in 2021 compared to the wine and beer markets, with spirits accounting for 41.3% of the total share of alcoholic drinks, up from 39.6%.
Commenting on the upward trend of the super-premium-priced Irish whiskey being sold, William Lavelle, Director of the Irish Whiskey Association, said "While Irish whiskey has been the world’s fastest-growing spirit since 2010, this growth has primarily taken place at standard price points. This is changing, as more and more consumers are turning to Irish whiskey as their luxury whiskey of choice."
Two products stood out in this market, Bushmills Single Malts and Redbreast Single Pot Still.
Colum Egan, Master Distiller at Bushmills Distillery, said: "Bushmills Single Malt is at the heart of everything we do. In 2021, we saw strong momentum for our core aged range, with sales growth far in excess of the global single malt category trend. The success of our second wave of Causeway Collection single malt, limited edition, prestige releases is a clear testament to consumers’ passion for Bushmills worldwide."
Billy Leighton, Master Blender at Irish Distillers added: "More and more consumers are continuing to show their appreciation for our single pot still portfolio, led by Redbreast, the world’s most awarded single pot still whiskey, which had record volume growth in the first half of fiscal year 21 (+19%).
"We are confident that the quality and variety of our broader portfolio, coupled with the shift in consumer appetite towards more premium and super-premium Irish whiskeys, will continue to support growth around the world."
