For the first time in 30 years, Jameson whiskey recorded a decline in sales volumes last year. According to Irish Distillers, the producer of Jameson and other well-known whiskey brands, sales of Jameson whiskey fell 5% last year to 7.6m cases.

The decline in full year sales volumes was due to the major disruption caused by COVID-19.

In the first half of 2020, sales of Jameson plunged 16% year-on-year to just 2.85m cases, with pubs and bars shut for an extended period in most countries.

The US remains the core export market for Irish whiskey

Sales rebounded in the second half of the year, with Jameson sales increasing 3% year-on-year to 4.75m cases from July to December, although this was not enough to offset the drop in sales in the first half of the year.

The US remains the core export market for Irish whiskey. In the second half of 2020, Jameson sales in the US exceeded 2 million cases for the second year running.

Owned by French group Pernod Ricard, Irish Distillers produces its range of Irish whiskeys from its Midleton distillery in Cork.