The millennium-old whiskey industry in Ireland has been given a new lifeline thanks to surging sales in China in recent years.
'Uisce beatha' - the Old Irish words for whiskey translate literally to 'water of life'. The distilled spirit is reputed to have originated in Ireland around 1000 years ago. The country was once the world's dominant supplier, with at least 28 legal distilleries by the 1890s.
However, failing to keep up with the times, Scottish whiskey took over its place, wiping out all but two Irish rivals. Today, the growing demand in China is fueling the renaissance of Irish whiskey industry.
Businessman Chad Huang, who also serves as the president of China Europe Business Association, has lived in Ireland for 22 years. His 'Chamber' whiskey brand is a top seller.
"Chinese people have finally woken up to brown liquor now, especially the young people-say probably around 30 years old. We see huge growth, especially on the east coast of China, and people really started drinking whiskey now. We truly believe Irish whiskey has a bright future in China," said Huang told China Global Television Network (CGTN).
In 2023, China imported 32,600 kiloliters of whiskey worldwide worth approximately 0.57 million U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 9.65 percent.
Official date showed the Chinese whiskey market expanded by 4.2 times in the past decade. The scale is expected to grow further to more than 2.25 billion U.S. dollars around 2025.
John Teeling is an almost mythical figure in the Irish whiskey industry. Despite never having tried a drop, he is known as the "father of the Irish whiskey renaissance".
In the 1980s, Teeling broke the monopoly of Irish distilleries and inspired others to do the same. Now, there are more than 30 distilleries in the country, with many still heading East.
"The future of Irish whiskey is in Asia. China with 450 million coming into the middle class - and it's the middle class that want to drink imported spirits - and the young people, they're the ones who want to drink fresh new drinks," said Teeling.
For now, Scotch whiskey still dominates with brands such as Johnny Walker and Chivas Regal. But Irish whiskey, with its smooth, mellow texture and wide variety of finishes, looks set to mature rapidly and become a favorite in Chinese glasses.
Soaring sales in China gives new lifeline to Irish whiskey
Soaring sales in China gives new lifeline to Irish whiskey
