India’s tryst with whisky What is India’s contribution to the global uptick and how is Asia paving the way for the revolution? BY ARUSHI SAKHUJA When one thinks of fine whisky making, Scotland and Ireland often come to mind, but when thinking of consumption, India scores high on the charts consistently. According to IWSR 2022, the global benchmark for beverage alcohol data, India is now the number one market globally for whisky, rum and brandy. Whisky is a spirit that is poison for most Indians, Whisky on the rocks is a standard choice for many. Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, CEO - All Things Nice told Luxebook, “India has always been a whisky-drinking market where a serious volume is produced, imported, and consumed. In a scenario that is unique to India and perhaps China, the number of people entering the legal drinking age is in the millions. Therefore, more consumers means more consumption. In addition, because there is generally more income per capita and certainly a lot more income per capita in the top 10% of India’s top income group, there is serious premiumization in consumer demand like never before.” In agreement with the scope of growth in the country, Vijay Dev, Category Lead – Whiskies at Bacardi in India shared, “Home to a sizable population of modern whisky appreciators, India has established itself on the global map as the number one market for whisky. IWSR 2021 data confirms India’s status as the largest whisky-drinking nation by volume. Simultaneously, evolving tastes and preferences of India’s whisky aficionados are driving the growth of the whiskies – priming this already popular segment for its next stage of evolution.” The hills of the Scottish Highlands and the lush landscapes of Ireland have long been associated with the world’s finest spirits. However, there’s a quiet revolution underway in the whisky world, with the growing Asian drinkers. While Japan has always been known for its exquisite whiskies, other region like Taiwan and India are booming as well with homegrown distilleries and brands. “There is a huge demand for Japanese whiskies, especially at the higher-end spectrum. Irish whiskey like Jameson has been consumed in vast volumes across India for years but even here we see whisky drinkers wanting to experiment with higher-end distilleries from Ireland. There is increasing demand and availability when it comes to highquality American whiskey in the Bourbon and Rye categories,” adds Nikhil. As per reports by the Scotch Whisky Association, the AsiaPacific region overtook the European Union to become the biggest buyer in the $7.5 billion Scotch whisky export market last year. In the first half of this year, six of the 10 largest export destinations for the spirit were in Asia. While India might at the forefront when it comes to consumption, Asia, is 28|LUXEBOOK|NOV/DEC 2023 NOV/DEC 2023 |LUXEBOOK|29 ALL FOR WHISKY
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