Exports of Irish spirits rose 25% last year to an overall value of €1.2bn despite obstacles presented by Covid-19, Ibec group Drinks Ireland|Spirits has said.
The Spirits Market Report 2021 shows domestic spirits sales rebound with reopening of pubs, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality venues, increasing 8% to 2.55m litres sold.
Protected spirits such as Irish whiskey, Irish cream and poitin performed very strongly, with global sales up 21% year-on-year, and the US, UK and Canada positioned as the top three markets.
Vodka (29.9%), Irish whiskey (25.04%) and gin (14.43%) were the most popular spirits in Ireland, and global sales of Irish whiskey reached 14m cases while Irish cream sales topped 10m cases for the first time.
The ready to drink category continued to emerge in Ireland, mirroring the global trend, as sales of cocktails and long drinks in Ireland rose 60%, while hard selzer sales were up 46% and flavoured alcoholic beverages rose 27%.
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Non-alcoholic and low alcoholic products also increase in popularity, rising 313% from a low base, with beer an cider leading the way.
Bryan Fallon, chair of Drinks Ireland|Spirits, said: “Last year was another challenging one for Ireland’s spirits sector, which again demonstrated strong resilience in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was positive to see a rebound in domestic sales and exports in the second half of the year as hospitality venues reopened.
“In order to enable us to fully rebound in a timely manner and further support the economy, we would call for an excise cut in the upcoming Budget. With the third highest excise on spirits in the EU, Ireland levies a disproportionate percentage of the tax burden on distilleries who are promoting Ireland on the global stage.
Vincent McGovern, director of Spirits at Drinks Ireland said: “In 2021, almost all the various spirit categories saw an increase in sales, which was positive to see after the impact of Covid.
"As a strong export-led industry, free and open trade remains vital. As such a number of challenges remain for the sector, including the continued fallout from Brexit.”
(Pic: Getty Images)
