A new forecast from the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland suggests this year will see Irish craft gin brands such as Bertha's Revenge, Shortcross, Blackwater No. 5, Dingle and Gunpowder substantially grow their sales in the US, Canadian, British and German markets.
As reported by The Irish Times, gin sales rose by 31.6% in Ireland in 2016, with exports more than trebling, making it the country's fastest growing spirit that year.
Meanwhile, 2017 saw Irish drinks exports rising 8% overall to €1.5 billion and the outlook for the year ahead is positive as well, partially due to strong growth in whiskey exports, which rose 11.3% to 8.7 million in 2016 alone. This means that the sector is on track to surpass the 2020 sales target of 12 million cases.
Additionally, the number of distilleries operating in Ireland has risen from four to 18 over the past four years and 16 more are currently in the pipeline. The rise in distillery numbers has also helped boost tourism in Ireland as result of a rising amount of distilleries opening visitor centres on site.
