Opportunities for Irish Whiskey in Australia

As part of the 2021 Market Insight series, the Irish Whiskey Association hosted a webinar on 2 September on ‘Opportunities for Irish Whiskey in Australia. The webinar was chaired by Martin Lynch of Teeling Whiskey Co.

The recording of the webinar is available here.

See attached slides from:

• Eamonn Hennessy, Buck Mulligan’s whiskey bar and bookshop, Melbourne

• Greg Holland, CEO, Spirits and Cocktails Australia

To contact Dan Murphy’s please email enquiries@edg.com.au or ask your Australian agent/distributor to make contact locally.

Overview of Australia from Irish Whiskey Association

Sales of Irish whisky in Australia increased by over 22% in 2020 – and in total sales of Irish whiskey in Australia have doubled from 2016 to 2020, now standing at quarter of a million cases.

Since 2016, Irish whiskey’s share of the Australia whiskey market grew from 3.5% to 6%.

The Irish Whiskey Associations assesses that there is plenty of headroom to growth; and strong double digits growth should be targeted and achievable in coming years’ delivering tens of thousands of extra cases sales per annum.

Important Australia is proving to be a highly competitive market for Irish whiskey brands – with growth being shared rights across the category.

Growth in coming years may be aided by developments on the trade front.

For our Northern Irish members, the UK Australia have agreed in principles a new free trade agreement, eliminating the 5% tariff for Irish whiskey brands from Northern Ireland.

The European Union and Australia are continuing negotiations with an expectation that the 5% tariff will be eliminated for the remainder of Irish whiskey.

The Irish Whiskey Association is actively lobbying both the EU and UK to reform rules-of-origin in the new trade agreements to ensure tariff elimination extends equally to all Irish whiskeys – including those with inputs or processing from both sides of the Irish border.

The name ‘Irish whiskey’ is protected in Australia by way of a certification mark which was applied for by the Irish Whiskey Association and granted in 2019. We are hopeful for stronger protection in the future if Australia introduces a legal framework to recognise geographic indications.