Full Tilt from Ireland to India

Irish whiskey boasts a rich heritage and reputation for excellence for hundreds of years, crafted with care and passion. Teeling Whiskey honours the traditional practices of Irish whiskey making, while embracing the opportunity to introduce new flavours and innovative techniques to offer unique experiences. And now it is available in India! As Jack Teeling, Founder and Managing Director, Teeling Whiskey, tells Bishan Kumar, consumers and connoisseurs in India are now ready for a taste of the unique Dublin spirit, which is what Teeling Whiskey will offer them.

From a global perspective, India ranks among the top 10 markets for Irish whiskey. While the category has historically been underrepresented here due to the dominance of other segments, this is rapidly changing. Irish whiskey is now the third-largest and the second-fastest-growing category in India, making it a priority market for a brand like Teeling Whiskey. The reason is simple. Today’s Indian consumer is more open to experimentation, exploring not just Scotch whiskies but also Japanese, Indian, American, and other variants—provided the liquid is of high quality.

“Additionally, I have observed a growing preference for enjoying whiskey in versatile ways, whether neat, on the rocks, with water, or in cocktails. This adaptability makes Irish whiskey an ideal choice,” says Jack. Recognising India’s status as a whiskey-drinking nation and the immense potential it presents, the company has crafted a product tailored specifically for this market, and has launched the Small Batch Classic, made exclusively for Indian consumers.

Gaining Indian Insights

According to Jack, India is a vibrant and diverse market with a rich heritage and a strong appreciation for craftsmanship and authenticity, making it an ideal fit for Teeling Whiskey. The country’s culinary traditions and openness to exploring new flavours highlight a consumer base eager for quality and innovation. “Indian consumers value quality—they prefer to drink less but better—and their willingness to experiment with new cocktails and spirits gives me confidence in the potential for the Irish whiskey segment,” he adds.

The Small Batch Classic, made just for India, is all about celebrating the country’s love for craftsmanship and innovation.

With its perfect mix of sweet, floral notes, and a hint of spice, it’s designed to match the adventurous Indian palette. “We aim to build a lasting connection with a new generation of whiskey enthusiasts. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are committed to educating consumers about the rich heritage of Irish whiskey while aligning with the local preferences. Through our ambassadors and the talented mixologists bringing our whiskey and story to life, we hope to create something truly special for India,” he elaborates.

Patience, Quality, and True Irish Identity 

The journey of Teeling Whiskey has had its challenges, but the brand has always been focused on a long-term vision to be known as the leading premium-plus Irish whiskey through driving the quality and range of flavours within the category.

“While we are up against longestablished brands, through our focus on quality and ensuring every bottle of Teeling Whiskey is of a world-class standard, we feel we can stand out and be successful for all the right reasons,” Jack says.

One of the major hurdles the brand faced was ensuring that its story resonated and connected with consumers in a highly competitive market. It’s not just about getting the product onto the shelves, but about educating and training the partners to truly understand and sell the Teeling Whiskey experience. The key is to give time and have the patience to do things right, to understand and listen to what the consumers’ want, while carefully positioning the brand. As Jack puts it, it’s not always about chasing the volume., Iit should be about delivering quality at every step. And here, brand identity plays a crucial part too, where the true-blue Irishness plays an important role.

Teeling Whiskey honours the traditional practices of Irish whiskey making, while embracing the opportunity to introduce new flavours and innovative techniques to offer unique experiences. “Each expression in our collection is crafted from a cask hand-selected by the Teeling family for its exceptional quality and unique character,” Jack informs. Varying the time, style and number of barrels used during the maturation process adds to the subtlety and complexity of the flavor.

The Right Positioning

Creating a niche is an integral part of the process. At Teeling Whiskey, the company is not just focused on competing with other brands. Instead, it aims to carve out unique space by offering exceptional quality and innovative products tailored to the diverse Indian palette.

The recently launched Small Batch Classic is a testament to this commitment, as it combines traditional craftsmanship with modern flavour profiles that resonate with Indian consumers. The company recognises that India is a vibrant market with a growing appetite for premium spirits.

The company is also keen that its origins strike the right chord with Indian consumers.

Teeling Whiskey’s heritage began in Dublin with the establishment of a small craft distillery in the heart of the city back in the 18th century, and that spirit of craftsmanship continues to guide the brand today. The Teeling Whiskey distillery today is the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years, very close to where the first distillery began. And the USP is that the whiskey originates from this historically rich city which the Teeling family has called its home for generations.

Testing International Shores 

The company has been exporting to over 80 international markets and for the past 10 years it has created significant footprints in the traditional markets for Irish whiskey. The US market in particular has been the global driver of Irish whiskey, as seen over the last 20 years. However, what has been exciting for the category has been the expansion and emergence of some very fast-growing markets outside the traditional American, Irish and European markets.

India is close to the top of this list due to the recent dynamic growth but there are other markets showing great potential as well. For example, Poland and Hungary in Central Eastern Europe, Japan and South Korea in Asia, and Nigeria and South Africa are emerging as attractive markets, and like India, they have a rapidly growing middle-class with an appetite for high-quality imported whiskeys. “There has been evolvement of sorts across the world among whiskey consumers – it’s good quality that finds a strong preference,” is how Jack puts it.

Partnering with Bacardi

Bacardi has had a long-standing interest in Irish whiskey, and the partnership with Teeling Whiskey was a result of a long courtship. With similar family-owned companies with shared values, and the mutual belief in both the brand and the Irish whiskey opportunity, the partnership was a natural fit. With Bacardi’s impressive portfolio of premium brands and strong distribution network, the brand offered Teeling Whiskey invaluable access to markets which the latter wouldn’t have been able to reach.

Further, India represents a huge opportunity and having a partner like Bacardi India to help Teeling Whiskey navigate and guide it in the creation of Teeling Small Batch Classic with its deep understanding of the market has been vital. “With their team on the ground, extensive experience in building brands in the Indian market coupled with strong relationships with the on and offtrade, it will hopefully allow Teeling Whiskey to hit the ground running and tap into the opportunity that is emerging for premium-plus imported whiskeys,” he adds

The Big Plan

Teeling Whiskey is in India for the long haul. Following Jack’s visit, the company is preparing to release No. 002 of the exclusive Small Batch Classic in January. The goal for the coming year is to expand into more markets across India.

“However, we are taking a thoughtful, step-by-step approach, focusing on truly understanding our consumers’ needs and delivering exactly what they are looking for. Once we have our initial offerings of Small Batch and Single Malt established, we will have more opportunities to introduce other unique and interesting expressions of Teeling Whiskey, including access to our aged Single Malt releases,” Jack shares.

 The Teeling Collection

The company is bringing two different variants to India, the Small Batch Classic Whiskey and Single Malt. The Small Batch Classic is exclusively crafted for the Indian market. Made in small batches from hand-selected casks of grain and malt whiskey, this special edition is crafted to provide a balance of creamy vanilla and spicy fruit notes designed especially for the Indian palette. It is bottled at 46 percent ABV with no-chill filtration to retain its natural character.

The Single Malt is unique globally since it is crafted with virgin oak and a variety of high-quality fortified wine casks, resulting in a unique bouquet of fruit flavours and depth of character that will appeal to Indian consumers.