BROWN SPIRITS REPORT: IRISH WHISKEY Irish Whiskey’s boom time shows no sign of abating
The popularity of Irish whiskey continues to skyrocket with new brands, distillery openings and activations steering the wider brown spirits category in an exciting direction. Diageo, Pernod Ricard, William Grant & Sons and Brown-Forman are highlighted in a round up of innovative DF&TR projects in the pipeline. Luke Barras-Hill reports.
very well in cocktails.” This versatility and propensity
for experimentation, particularly in the much-vaunted super- premium category,
is also
drawing consumer interest. “There is a standard category and
super-premium category, and we have the luxury of playing in both,” explains Bush. “Tullamore Dew is a long
established brand, with older aged ranges and GTR exclusives, as well as the original. “It gives customers a way of
trading up on the same brand, so if they’re a fan of the original, it’s natural for them to try a new expression in the range. “We have a very premium
Above: The versatility of Tullamore Dew makes it well suited to cocktail mixes.
I
rish whiskey’s appeal is indisputably on the rise. According to the US Distilled
Spirits Council, volumes of the liquid were up by 18.7% to 3.8m cases in the US last year, as revenues bettered this uplift with growth of +19.8% to total $795m. The numbers underline the rising
appeal of the category over the past decade, the Council notes, as consumers are drawn to high end and super premium variants. Both have rocketed by +736% and +3,456%, respectively, since 2002. For William Grant & Sons, category USPs are all important. “Tullamore Dew is unique among
the big brands of Irish whiskey you find on the market today in that it’s the only one that has all three types of Irish whiskey in a blend; we have pure pot still, malt and grain whiskey,”
You’re seeing a lot more Irish whiskey-based cocktails appearing on menus.”
Mary-Jade Hynes, Global Brand Team, WGS 150 TRBUSINESS
comments Richard Bush, Regional Marketing Manager – Americas, William Grant & Sons (WGS). A vibrant and diverse cocktail
culture in many cities, including in the US, has certainly helped pique interest
for those
new to the category. Major spirits companies have
always enjoyed the attraction of the on-trade to leverage interest in new products through the success of global cocktail and bartender masterclasses. Now, this appeal is filtering through to Irish whiskey.
Not just Irish coffee... “You’re seeing a lot more Irish whiskey-based cocktails appearing on menus,” comments Mary-Jade Hynes, Global Brand Team, WGS. “Wheareas typically you might
have just seen Irish coffee appearing on different menus, you’re now seeing Irish whiskey used in all types of recipes where typically a bourbon or an American whiskey would have taken its place. “Because of the versatility of the liquid and the blend, it stands up
offering – GTR exclusives like the Tullamore Phoenix (750ml) which is an overproof edition (55% ABV) available only in GTR. According to the Irish Whiskey
Association, a mere four distilleries in Ireland existed in 2013. Today, there are 16 in production and more planned. Moreover, Irish whiskey tourism is
tipped to attract an estimated €1.3bn ($1.4bn) per year by 2025. “There is real forecasted growth
for the Irish whiskey category globally,” comments Hynes. “Because of the smoothness of
the drink, it’s an easy entry into the whisk(e)y category. More recently for example, connoisseurs of Single Malt Scotch have seen Single Malt Irish whiskey as more premium and have gravitated across to try some more higher-end whiskies in that category.” Another reason for the uptake,
Hynes continues, is that traditionally, Irish whiskey has been viewed as a blend rather than as a Single Malt. But the likes of Tullamore Dew’s Single Malt range has now turned this perception on its head. Irish whiskey’s unquestionable
MAY 2017
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