Irish Whiskey on a Steady Rise

Poles are increasingly reaching for whiskey from the Emerald Isle – these are the conclusions of the 2019 report by Ibec (Irish Whiskey Association). Imports of this spirit to Poland rose by 28% over the year. In terms of volume, Ireland still lags far behind Scotland, but according to experts, further growth is inevitable.

Poland Is Growing Faster Than the Global Market

According to Ibec data, in 2019 300,000 cases (each counted as 12 bottles) reached Poland, that is 3.6 million bottles of Irish whiskey, which represents growth of as much as 28% compared with the previous year. The result achieved still places Ireland far behind Scotland, which supplied Poland with nearly ten times more alcohol, but with a decidedly lower growth rate. The whole year closed for Ireland with exports of 143 million bottles, or just under 12 million cases, which represents 10.6% growth compared with 2018. For comparison, Scotland shipped about 1.3 billion bottles abroad in 2019.

Central and Eastern Europe (from Germany to Russia) leads in the largest increases in Irish whiskey imports, becoming a counterweight to the previously fastest-growing American market. In global statistics on Irish whiskey, the United States holds the honorable first place, while Poland ranks 10th. The large increases confirm experts' forecasts, who say that Irish whiskey will be the fastest-growing category in the coming years.

- After many years, Irish whiskey is slowly emerging from the shadows. It is worth recalling that until World War I, it was the spirit drunk in polite society, while few appreciated Scotch. A later confluence of various circumstances meant that Irish whiskey was forgotten, while Scotch developed very strongly again. Today, spirits from the Emerald Isle are regaining their rightful place in the world of whisky - says Jarosław Buss, owner of Tudor House and the Ballantines store chain, organizer of the annual Whisky Live Warsaw.

The Renaissance of the Teeling Brand

It is worth mentioning that at the end of the 18th century, 37 independent whiskey distilleries operated in Dublin alone, most of them in the so-called Liberties area. Due to a dramatic drop in sales, most of them were closed. The number of distilleries in Ireland fell from more than 100 in 1886 to just two in 1970. The renaissance of Irish whiskey is largely thanks to the Teeling brand, which, since moving to a new distillery in 2015 (it is the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years!), has been collecting awards at the world's most important competitions. During last year's edition of the prestigious World Whiskies Awards, the top prize in the category of best single malt in the world went to Teeling Single Malt 24 YO Vintage, which in the opinion of experts turned out to be better than competitors from Scotland and Japan.

- The triumph of Dublin whiskey is a historic event. Never before in this competition has the most important laurel in this category gone to an alcohol from Ireland – adds Jarosław Buss, the only Polish juror at the World Whiskies Awards. Further successes of the Teeling brand convince whisky enthusiasts around the world that it is worth reaching for and tasting spirits produced on the Emerald Isle. We currently have around several dozen Irish distilleries, some of them produce, and some are preparing to produce. That is still fewer than in Scotland, but the growth over the last dozen or so years has been staggering. It is hard to expect that Irish whiskey will soon break Scotland's monopoly, but its share of the global market will certainly grow, and the opening of further distilleries seems only a matter of time.

Summary

The 2019 Ibec report shows that imports of Irish whiskey to Poland rose by 28%, reaching 3.6 million bottles. Nevertheless, Ireland remains far behind Scotland, which supplied our country with nearly ten times more alcohol, but with a lower growth rate. Ireland's global exports amounted to 143 million bottles, or 10.6% more than a year earlier.

Experts point out that Irish whiskey is experiencing a renaissance after decades of Scottish dominance. The symbol of this revival is the Teeling brand, whose single malt won the top prize at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards. Poland ranks 10th in global import statistics for this spirit, with the United States leading the way.