Industry revenue of beverage serving activities in Ireland 2011-2023

The Irish drinks industry, especially in the alcoholic segment, has a rich legacy, being home to some of the world-renowned brands such as Guinness and Jameson. Beer, especially lager, is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the country with the number of active beer breweries in the country increasing from just 26 in 2008 to over 100 in 2017. Moreover, the country has always been known for its love for alcohol and this has contributed in no small measure to the growth of the beverage serving industry, which has been estimated to increase marginally from 3.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 to almost 3.5 billion U.S dollars in 2023.

Alcoholic drinks account for a majority of beverage exports

Whiskey, cream liqueur and gin account for a majority of beverage exports from Ireland with the UK as the main consumer. In fact Ireland was the fourth highest exporter of whiskey in 2018, behind the UK, the US and Singapore. Unsurprisingly, Jameson, is the most popular Irish whiskey in international markets, clocking as much as 3,489 thousand, nine liter cases in the US, with Tullamore Dew coming in at a distant second with only 283 thousand, nine-liter cases.