Cocktails, Premiumisation, Travel Retail Powering Irish Whiskey

Once a niche import, Irish whiskey is fast gaining ground in India’s premium spirits market. Driven by evolving consumer tastes, rising disposable incomes and a growing appreciation for smoother, triple-distilled whiskies, Irish labels are carving out a distinct space alongside Scotch and bourbon, signalling a quiet but steady boom. LOVE Kumar Jain, Group MD and CEO, Solis Group, dwells on the factors driving this impressive growth.

From an importer’s perspective, the surge in Irish whiskey exports to India in 2024 reflects both long-term structural trends in global whiskey consumption and relative brand performance that has evolved over the past half-decade. According to the Irish Whiskey Association and data compiled by the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR), total Irish whiskey global shipments exceeded 15-16 million 9 litre cases in 2024, setting a new volume record for the category and exceeding €1 billion in export value. India reported the highest growth, making it the fastest growing market among 113 export destinations and the world’s fifth largest market by volume, at over 700,000 9L cases shipped in 2024.

The Triggers

As disposable incomes have risen and a premium spirits culture has expanded, Indian consumers are increasingly sampling and adopting non-traditional whisky categories beyond Scotch and Indian malts. Irish whiskey fits this experiential niche especially well. Second, dominant global brands like Jameson have significantly expanded distribution, trade engagement and brand education in India, lowering barriers to repeat purchase and accelerating growth relative to other categories. Lastly, improved on-trade activation, cocktailcentric positioning, and travel-retail visibility have all helped Irish whiskey build trial and repeat consumption faster than many competing categories.

“At today’s inflection point, the category in India appears to be transitioning from niche discovery to broader adoption, with Ireland’s fastestgrowing export market status in 2024 signalling a deeper lift from both trade infrastructure and consumer preference shifts,” says Love, whose company imports brands like Drumshanbo Galanta Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Fercullen Falls Small Batch Blended Irish Whiskey and McConnell’s Blended Irish Whiskey.

Explaining the reason for this choice of brands, Love says the earliest signals came from the on-trade, particularly bartenders and premium hotel bars. “There was consistent feedback that Irish whiskey was easier to work with, both neat and in cocktails, than many competing whisky styles. Bartenders were also reporting fewer barriers when introducing Irish whiskey to younger premium consumers,” he adds. From a consumer standpoint, dutyfree performance was another early indicator. “Global travel retail has long functioned as a testing ground for emerging categories, and Irish whiskey has shown steady growth there over the last decade, including among Indian travellers,” Love states.

Characteristics of Brands

Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey, from The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney, offers two variants, namely, Single Pot Still and Single Malt, both of which are very distinct. While Single Pot Still is a mélange of traditional Irish pot-still methods with innovative ingredients like Irish Barra oats, Single Malt is a premium, non-traditional (in terms of region) Irish whiskey that respects heritage while offering a modern, high-quality flavour profile. Fercullen Falls Irish Whiskey, from Powerscourt Distillery, represents modern Irish distilling rooted in terroir and balance. Its profile is elegant and contemporary, which aligns well with evolving Indian tastes. Meanwhile, McConnell’s Irish Whiskey, revived in Belfast, brings historical depth and a more robust character, appealing to consumers who enjoy richness and narrative.

“What differentiates these brands from larger, entrenched Irish whiskey labels is that they are not built purely on global standardisation. They retain a strong sense of place and individuality, which allows us to position them with greater nuance in India rather than competing solely on scale or legacy,” Love says. Elaborating on cocktails, he adds, “Cocktails are fundamental to the Irish whiskey growth story in India. Research from Bord Bia and the Irish Whiskey Association shows that globally Irish whiskey over-indexes in cocktail usage compared to Scotch, and that advantage translates strongly into India.”

In practical terms, Solis Group sees high resonance with Irish highballs, Irish whiskey sours, hot toddy, Irish old fashioned and Irish espresso martini. The consumption occasions are clearly segmented. Cocktails dominate social and experiential settings like lounges, rooftop bars and casual-luxury environments. Neat and on the rocks consumption is growing steadily too, particularly among consumers who have graduated from entrylevel Scotch or Indian single malts and are now seeking variety.

Long-Term Vision

Irish whiskey producers work closely with companies like Solis Group on long-term brand architecture, not short-term sales objectives. This includes clear positioning frameworks tailored to Indian consumers, structured bartender and trade education programmes, strategic shelf placement and visibility planning, and consistent storytelling across on-trade, retail and travel retail.

According to industry analysts, to secure a durable position in India Irish whiskey must emphasise versatility across neat and cocktail serves, communicate heritage in a contemporary, accessible way, invest deeply in bartender education and advocacy, and position itself as a bridge between discovery and connoisseurship. “In a market as diverse as India, categories that succeed are those that welcome consumers in, rather than demanding prior expertise. Irish whiskey is uniquely positioned to do exactly that,” opines Love. Here, collaboration, for example with Mohan Brothers LLP, goes far beyond import and logistics.

To put it in a nutshell, in a crowded retail environment, success depends on clarity, coherence and credibility; the role is to ensure that Irish whiskey brands are not just present in India, but meaningfully understood.

Strong Performance

Global travel retail has been a strong entry platform for these brands, reflecting broader trends where Irish whiskey enjoys high awareness and impulse discovery. Indian travellers are increasingly confident buyers in duty-free, and Irish whiskey benefits from strong international recognition. “Domestically, performance is strongest in markets like Delhi and Gurugram, and in premium on-trade and off-trade. Our approach to scaling is activation-led rather than discount-led,” informs Love. This includes guided tastings and curated whiskey dinners, bartender advocacy and menu placements, and limited-period experiential showcases rather than price promotions. “The objective is to build depth of understanding and repeat purchase, which is essential for long-term category growth,” Love says.

Meanwhile, with Irish whiskey exports crossing 15 million cases, there are growing concerns around capacity and inventory for long-term. “These concerns are real and widely discussed within the industry. Irish whiskey has experienced rapid expansion, and history shows that spirits categories can suffer when growth outpaces inventory planning.”

From the industry standpoint, this makes producer selection even more critical. “We work with distilleries that have clear visibility on stock, disciplined expansion plans and conservative inventory management,” he adds. India is not treated as an opportunistic market but as a strategic long term destination. Growth projections are carefully calibrated to ensure continuity of supply and consistency of quality, even as global demand evolves. In that sense, Irish whiskey must resist the temptation to imitate Scotch or compete purely on age statements. Its strength lies elsewhere.