New CSO figures reveal that the value of Irish gin exports grew by 433% in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the first quarter of 2017.
The report indicated that in the first quarter of 2018, exports of Irish gin were valued at €935,000, compared to just €175,000 in the first quarter of 2017.
The new figures show that half of this value came from exports to the US and a further quarter came from exports to the UK.
There were also shipments of Irish Gin to both Japan and Mexico in the first quarter of 2018, which are both increasingly important new markets for Irish spirits.
World Gin Day
Speaking ahead of World Gin Day which took place on Saturday, 8 June, William Lavelle, head of the Irish Spirits Association said, "The gin revolution, which has grown in Ireland and the UK over the past 18 months, is now going global. There is huge potential for Irish gin producers to expand even further, as the industry shifts its focus to international markets.
“The rapid surge in Irish gin exports in the first quarter of 2018 marks only the start of what we believe will be sustained export growth."
The Irish Spirits Association recently published the first-ever Strategy for Irish Gin, which include a target of trebling Irish gin sales globally by 2022.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
