Jameson earns a Top 10 ranking

For the first time ever Jameson Irish Whiskey has entered the Top 10 in Impact magazine’s annual ‘Top 100 Premium Spirits Brands Worldwide’ after increasing sales 10% to a record 7.5 million nine-litre cases in 2018, sitting below Jägermeister in ninth place in the list, each reporting volume sales of 7.5 million nine-litre cases.

In addition, Jameson scored its 18^th consecutive year on the magazine’s ‘Hot Brands in the USA’ list, delivering 9% growth in that market over the same period. More than half of Jameson’s volume is sold in the US market,

Jameson, which sits in 28^th place in Impact’s ‘Top 100 Spirits Brands (Premium and Non-Premium)’ global table,  has added more than 2.5 million cases and risen five places in the list over as many years.

“Jameson has tacked on 1.3 million cases in the past two years” states the report, “jumping 9% in 2018 to 7.5 million cases,” according to Impact’s Databank which publishes the report each year in collaboration with the international drinks trade media magazine.

Jameson is one of only two premium spirits brands in the top 10 to achieve ‘Hot Brand’ status – a curated list of brands that each sell a minimum of 200,000 cases in the US and fulfil at least one of four sophisticated measurement methods designed by Impact.

“Jameson has been driving the growth of the category for the past 29 years and continues to lead the Irish whiskey renaissance around the world,” commented Chairman and Chief Executive of Irish Distillers Conor McQuaid of the Impact report, highlighting the fact that Jameson now sells more than any Scotch whisky bar Johnnie Walker.

“In the six months to the end of December 2018 Jameson grew value (up 8%) with all regions contributing to this success. Standout regions where we expect future growth to come from included Sub-Saharan Africa which saw 40% growth (excluding South Africa) and Asia, where India saw 50% growth.

“In addition to the brand reporting double- or triple-digit growth in more than 70 markets across the world, we’re also increasingly seeing our super-premium Jameson Black Barrel and Jameson Caskmates whiskeys being selected as the category develops.”

Tullamore Dew, too, enjoyed attention as the eighth-fastest growing brand in Impact’s ‘Top 15 Growth Brands Within The Top 100 Premium Spirits Worldwide’ table, ranking 92^nd in terms of volume but enjoying an estimated growth last year of 15.3%  to an estimated 1.3 million cases.

As the only other Irish whiskey in the Top 100, “Tullamore Dew leapt 15% to 1.3 million cases last year,” states Impact, “Brand owner William Grant & Sons has poured $70 million into Tullamore’s County Offaly distillery since 2010, most recently completing a $30-million expansion in late 2017”.

Baileys enjoyed growth of 3% according to Impact’s ‘Top 100 Spirits Brands (Premium and Non-Premium)’ table, coming in 36^th place overall globally with sales of seven million cases.