Irish Distillers has released new statistics for the six months that ended on December 31, 2019, revealing that Jameson sales increased 9% to 4.6 million cases during the period, with 940,000 cases being sold in December alone, making it Jameson's largest sales month ever.
"Incredibly Proud"
Irish Distillers chairman and CEO Conor McQuaid stated, "In 1996, we sold one million cases of Jameson for the first time. In 2010, we cracked three million, and today we are celebrating the eight million case mark. In December 2019, Jameson recorded the single largest sales month ever, selling 940,000 cases. In the US, we sold two million cases of Jameson during a six-month period – another first. Jameson has been driving the growth of the Irish whiskey category for the past 30 years, and, as these results show, it continues to thrive, and we are incredibly proud of this growth."
During the six month period, Jameson grew value ahead of volume, with all regions contributing to this success. Germany saw growth of 34% while Russia experienced growth of 14%. Growth was also recorded in Canada (+13%), South Africa (+12%) and the UK (+10%), and key emerging markets for Jameson experienced growth of 37%, buoyed by markets such as Nigeria (+185%), China (+76%) and India (+47%). Global travel retail grew during the period (+7%) too, in part due to the launch of Jameson Triple Triple in July 2019. Irish Distillers also noted that consumers continued to appreciate the super-premium range, with Jameson Black Barrel sales growing 26%.
"Strong Growth" In Other Areas
McQuaid added, "Growth isn't just confined to Jameson. There has been strong growth across our portfolio of whiskeys in the first half of the year, including the single pot still category, led by Redbreast (+24%), with growth in the US (+27%), and the UK and France also performing well. The Spot range recorded growth of 6.2%. The category has quickly established itself as a drink of choice for refined drinkers and is now among the upper echelons of world whiskeys. Redbreast is still the most awarded single pot still whiskey in the world, winning the Worldwide Whiskey Trophy for Redbreast 12-Year-Old Single Pot Still in 2019, and its high regard is reflected in these fantastic growth figures.
"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and the team in Midleton continues to push the boundaries. The Method and Madness range has experienced very strong year to date growth (+81%) with the UK (+57%) and Ireland (+55%) both performing well. The range has truly piqued the interest of spirits drinkers throughout the world, reflecting the increasing appetite for innovation in the category, and with the first liquid from our micro distillery having matured in 2019, this range will continue to grow in the years to come.
"Our brand homes on Bow Street in Dublin and in Midleton in Cork continue to thrive, with visitor numbers reaching almost half a million in 2019. In December 2019, Jameson Distillery Bow St. was named the World's Leading Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards for the second year in a row."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
