Irish whiskey was the fastest-growing spirits category in the world for the past decade, and the US is the world’s largest market for Irish whiskey, representing 42% of all sales last year. Looking to the future, Irish whiskey sales in the US are expected to surpass Scotch sales by 2030, according to a new report by Drinks Ireland.
Drinks Ireland noted sales of Scotch were running 470% ahead of Irish whiskey in 2010, but the gap had fallen to 76% by 2019. The upcoming decade could be the first time sales of Irish whiskey overtake Scotch since before Prohibition in the 1920s.
Source: The Spirits Business, December 2020