2025 Industry Wrap-Up: Irish Whiskey Shows Strong Resilience
As we reflect on 2025, it’s clear that Irish drinks exports – and Irish Whiskey in particular – continued to show resilience in the face of challenging global conditions. The wider category performance provides important context for the year just gone and the outlook ahead.
Irish Drinks Exports Defy Global Pressures
Excerpt from the Irish Whiskey Association / Drinks Ireland website:
Irish Drinks Exports Defy Global Pressures to Reach €2 Billion as Sector Shows Strong Resilience
January 07, 2026Drinks Ireland has welcomed new data that shows drinks exports continue to grow, increasing by 2% to €2bn in 2025, despite strong economic and trade challenges.
The Ibec group that represents the sector was responding to the annual Bord Bia Export Performance & Prospects Report for 2025/2026, which outlines the performance of Ireland’s important food and drinks exports.
Although exports to North America declined slightly to €920 million due to market conditions and new tariff pressures, exports to Canada grew by approximately 25%. Exports to Africa increased sharply, rising by almost 60% to €100 million, while Asia recorded a 17% increase to €85 million — driven largely by India, which accounted for €40 million.
Within the European Union, exports were stable overall, with Germany recovering in the second half of the year, France remaining steady, and Belgium, Italy, and Spain showing strong levels of growth.
Irish Whiskey sales diversify
According to Bord Bia, Irish Whiskey continued to represent the largest share of Ireland’s drinks exports, accounting for 45% of total export value at approximately €930 million, despite a 5% decline from the previous year. This was a resilient performance given the uncertainty generated by new tariffs in the US, a 12% devaluation in the US dollar, and inflationary pressures.
The long-term performance of Irish Whiskey remains strong, with 9% value growth within the global Premium+ spirits category over the past five years. While exports to the EU remained stable and the UK saw a slight decline, emerging markets delivered strong growth, including Nigeria, South Africa, India, Japan, China, Singapore, and Malaysia.
You can read the full article on the Drinks Ireland website here:
👉 https://www.ibec.ie/drinksireland/news-insights-and-events/news/2026/01/08/irish-drinks-exports-defy-global-pressures-to-reach-2-billion-as-sector-shows-strong-resilience
