Karen Gregory, an Oklahoma tourist, visited Dublin this week, inhaled a malty barley aroma at Teeling Whiskey Distillery and chose a side in a centennial contest. “Definitely Irish. It’s lighter and brighter. Scotland is too heavy.”
The crowd of visitors happily drinking whiskeys, whiskey cocktails and whiskey-infused coffees suggested more converts on the Irish side of a rivalry that has pitted two venerable traditions in a battle for market domination.
Irish distilleries prevailed in the 19th century, accounting for more than 60% of sales in the US, before the disaster struck. The Irish ignored new technologies, curbed exports during the American ban of the 1920s, and were caught in a trade war with the United Kingdom. Scotland seized its opportunity and increased world exports, establishing scotch as synonymous with all kinds of whiskey.
“We’ve gone down from 60% to 2% in the US, that’s a trick,” said John Teeling, a dean of Irish whiskey producers. Then he smiled: “But I think we will beat the Scots by the end of the decade. There will be a big party when that happens. “
After decades of quiet, Irish whiskey roars again. Of just four distilleries operating in 2010, there are now 42 on the island of Ireland. Annual global sales have increased from 5 million boxes (60 million bottles) in 2010 to 14 million boxes (168 million bottles) last year, driven by new offerings and younger drinkers.
Growth in the U.S. has been especially strong, rising 16 percent last year to a record $ 1.3 billion, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. If the trend continues, sales of Irish whiskey in the United States (currently 5.9 million boxes) will surpass Scotch, which has stabilized at around 8 million boxes by 2030.
Globally, however, bark sales, with 1.3 billion bottles, are still smaller than its Irish rival, which sells 190 million bottles. “We’re still playing catch-up after decades of low performance when the crust basically stole our breakfast,” said Jack Teeling, John’s son and CEO of Teeling Whiskey.
It’s a bigger game now: The global whiskey market has hovered around $ 80 billion over the past decade, but is projected to rise to more than $ 100 billion by 2024, according to consumer data company Statista. Japanese brands have also risen in popularity, earning $ 340 million in sales last year.
Kilbeggan Distillery. Of just four distilleries operating in 2010, there are now 42 on the island of Ireland. Photography: Sam Hunter
Last month, the Irish government launched a € 750,000 “Ireland spirit” campaign to promote Irish products in US bars and liquor stores. For Irish distillers, overcoming Scotch in the US would be a psychological boost and rectify a century-old fiasco in the world’s largest market.
It would also underline the ambition to challenge Scotland’s enduring dominance elsewhere, including Britain. “The UK used to be a graveyard of Irish whiskey,” John Teeling said. “Not anymore.”
Celebrities have launched their own Irish whiskey brands, with stars from the American sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia this week releasing a 15-year-old single malt to celebrate the show’s 15th season. Former mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor launched a mark in 2018.
Popular culture marked the rebirth of Irish whiskey a decade ago when the Jameson brand appeared on songs by Rihanna and Lady Gaga and on TV shows Mad Men and South Park.
“There was no moment of light change and suddenly Irish whiskey was back in vogue,” said William Lavelle, director of the Irish Whiskey Association. “It simply came to our notice then. Ambition and strategy came together. “
William Lavelle of the Irish Whiskey Association. Photography: Sam Hunter
Exports to Russia, the second largest market, have stalled, and the UK dispute with the EU over Northern Ireland could cause disruptions, but the future is bright, Lavelle said. “It’s a rebirth.”
Ireland claims, like other countries, to be the home of whiskey. There is a reference to drinking in Ossory’s Red Book, a medieval manuscript produced in Kilkenny County in the 14th century.
At one time, Ireland had more than 1,000 distilleries. In the 19th century, a group of producers in Dublin’s Liberties district supplied much of the world.
However, they avoided innovation, such as a new type of still, and crumbled during the U.S. ban and Ireland’s trade war with Britain in the 1930s. Scotch whiskey, which omits the “e,” filled the void with darker, darker offerings. Ireland’s traditionally softer fare acquired a reputation for softness.
In the 1980s, Ireland had only two distilleries that produced a small fraction of Scottish production. The change began after French beverage giant Pernod Ricard bought Irish Distillers, giving multinational strength to its Jameson brand, and the Teeling family opened a new distillery, encouraging other newcomers.
The Irish experimented with new tastes, methods and cocktails – a level of freedom that Scottish producers deny, which operate under stricter rules – and won over US drinkers. Some, however, remain confused about the terminology, which makes John Teeling tremble. “I’ve had people come up to me and tell me ‘your whiskey is beautiful.'”