Beer is still Ireland’s most popular drink

Ireland's taste for wine is growing, but beer is by far the most popular

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland has published a new report which shows beer made up a massive 44.8% share of Ireland's alcohol sales in 2017, far ahead of wine (28%) and spirits (20%).

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Ireland’s drinks consumers have a growing taste for wine and spirits, according to the latest report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland. The report reveals in 2017, 19.8% of alcohol sales consisted of spirits – a 3.6% increase year-on-year. Wine held 27.7% of the market in the same period, well behind beer which makes up 44.8% of the market.

Despite this dominance, the volume of beer consumed was down 2.1% on 2016.

Another insight the DIGI report revealed was that adult consumption was an average of 11 litres per person (pure alcohol). This marks an ongoing trend of decreasing consumption. The level was 13.4L in 2007, and 14.44L in 2001.

Donal O’Keeffe, secretary of DIGI and CEO of the Licensed Vintners Association, said the report demonstrates the diversity of the Irish drinks market.

“The market in Ireland is highly competitive and constantly evolving,” he said, “in line with consumer preferences and tastes. What we’ve witnessed over the last decade is the growth of a nationwide network of businesses eager to serve shifts in consumer taste, and develop new, innovative products.”

However, O’Keeffe also warned that while the Irish drinks industry is robust, it faces a number of challenges that could plateau or even reverse its upwards growth. “Uncertainty is the word of the day,” he said. “Brexit makes it harder for exporters to plan for the future. If it’s harder to trade with Great Britain or Northern Ireland, and sterling remains weak, revenues will decline due to trade barriers and a decrease in overseas visitors.”

The report, The Drinks Market Performance 2017, authored by Dublin City University economist Anthony Foley and commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) was published ahead of the launch of DIGI’s 2018 ‘Support Your Local’ campaign.

Read More: DIGI

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