Irish Whiskey rides with the wave of India’s premium boom

The Indian market is becoming a hotspot for Irish whiskey, mainly due to the rise in the premiumisation trend, which offers opportunities as a majority of modern Irish distilleries produce products within this price band. Additionally, the versatility of Irish whiskey as a neat serve or a mixed drink meets the growing demand of Indian consumers. Michael Jacob, Drinks Sector Manager, Bord Bia, tells Bishan Kumar how this trend has shaped up and what it means for the future of Irish whiskey.

Irish whiskey has a rich and vibrant history dating back to the 1600s, but due to a number of global factors, up until recently, there had only been a small number of distilleries on the island. However, since 2010, there has been a renaissance in the category, which has allowed more global consumers to experience Irish whiskey. There are currently over 40 distilleries operating on the island of Ireland. In India, the preference for Irish whiskey has grown strongly over the last three years.

The growth of Irish whiskey in India can be attributed to a combination of factors. Foremost is the rise in premium whiskey consumption in India that has contributed greatly to the success of new, imported whiskey brands such as Irish whiskey as a majority of modern Irish distilleries produce products within this price band. In this context, Bord Bia has championed positioning Ireland as a leader in the category in global markets, says Michael.

Bord Bia is the Irish state agency dedicated to promoting Ireland’s food, drink, and horticulture sectors at home and abroad.

India Matters

The versatility of Irish whiskey as a neat serve or a mixed drink meets the growing demand of Indian consumers. The United States remains the primary export market for Irish whiskey and accounts for approximately 40 percent of whiskey exports.

“However, we are seeing increased diversification from Irish exporters, and emerging markets such as India, South Africa and Nigeria have grown in importance for the industry over the last five years,” Michael states.

Bord Bia’s recent report highlights India’s strong growth potential and its role in helping the Irish whiskey market diversify away from the US. As such, Bord Bia is increasing activities within the Indian market based on the strong growth in exports to the market. In 2024, Bord Bia exhibited at ProWine Mumbai with 11 alcohol beverage exporters taking part at the stand.

Michael shares that the feedback on the products was overwhelmingly positive, and Bord Bia also organised additional tastings around the tradeshow. In 2025, Bord Bia plans to increase its footprint within the market with additional showcases and again exhibit at ProWine Mumbai in October

Irish Whisky Traits

Malt whiskey is one of the four styles of Irish whiskey, also including grain, blended and the iconic Pot Still Irish whiskey. Pot Still is a unique style of Irish whiskey, made of both malted and unmalted barley with a small addition of other grain, and this style has garnered worldwide acclaim. Irish distilleries also make malt whiskey to the highest standard.

The global demand for Irish whiskey has grown phenomenally over the last decade, and the variety and unique finishes, due to the large range of wood that can be used in maturation, have played a key role in this growth.

The Road Ahead

Educating key trade and whiskey enthusiasts remains a key aspect of what Bord Bia is trying to achieve in the Indian market, as knowledge of the category and the breadth of Irish distilleries is still in a development phase. “We aim to achieve this through our flagship ‘Spirit of Ireland’ campaign, which focuses on educating the global trade on all categories of Irish spirits, including whiskey,” Michael shares.

Additionally, Bord Bia is engaging with bartenders and mixologists through its ‘Spirit of Ireland’ campaign, which is a dynamic training experience delivered by drinks experts to tell the story of Irish spirits. The experience tells the history, renaissance, and future of Irish spirits. The campaign provides a unique experience for combining video material from some of the leading companies in the Irish spirits category, a bespoke sensory experience, and virtual reality tours of some of the leading Irish distilleries.

The Spirit of Ireland provides a unique opportunity to hear from some industry innovators across all categories, including Irish whiskey.

Bord Bia expects the Irish whiskey category to continue to grow in India over the next five years. Irish Pot Still whiskey is the flagship category, and Michael believes as more brands enter the market and consumers try a huge variety of different whiskey styles, the future of Irish whiskey seems bright.