OFF-TRADE NEWS
Irish Whiskey Association reports significant global achievements in 2021 The Irish Whiskey Association has expanded international trade opportunities and protections for the Irish whiskey industry in 2021. That’s according to the representative body for the Irish whiskey industry, which has published its snapshot of 2021. A number of positive global developments for Irish whiskey occurred throughout the past year. These include new rules-of-origin in the UK-Australia free trade agreement (FTA) to protect crossborder Irish whiskey supply chains on the island of Ireland. Tariffs on Substantial achievements were secured in Irish whiskey in the US and Nigeria 2021 on international trade, protection, and ended, and levies in Canada were regulatory matters reduced. What’s more, over 90% of Irish whiskey global sales are now subject to legal protection. In further positive news, US tariffs on Northern Irish single malts ended, while substantial reductions to provincial levies in Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s two largest provinces, were achieved. 2021 also saw the elimination of 25% Import Adjustment Tax in Nigeria which was Irish whiskey’s fastest-growing market in 2021. Following a 4% dip in global sales in 2020 (as a result primarily of the collapse on sales in travel retail), there has been a strong double-digit percentage rebound in 2021, setting a new all-time high for global Irish whiskey sales. The latest figures from the CSO also show that the value of Irish whiskey exports to India for the first 10 months of 2021 are up 106% compared to the full 12 months of 2020. In 2021, the association also conducted investigations in relation to over 55 infringements of the Irish whiskey geographic indication (GI) around the world.
Drinks Ireland Annual Review shows a resilient sector amid Europe’s strictest lockdown measures Ireland’s Covid-19 lockdowns were by far the longest in Europe for pubs, bars, and restaurants according to the 2020/2021 Drinks Ireland Annual Review. The review shows, however, that the drinks industry showed remarkable resilience, with companies producing hand sanitizer and working to help shuttered bars and restaurants in the early stages of the pandemic as well as working together to ensure the safe reopening of the Overall alcohol consumption hospitality sector when it was permitted. declined in 2020 by 6% Periods of global closure of the on-trade and worldwide and by 6.6% in Ireland global travel retail over the last two years, as well as restrictions in supply to off-trade channels in some markets, saw overall alcohol consumption decline by 6% worldwide in 2020 and by 6.6% in Ireland. The review also highlights the fact that beer remains Ireland’s favourite alcohol beverage but that the closure of the hospitality sector saw beer sales decline by over 17% in Ireland, with the share of beer sold in hospitality businesses down from 60% in 2019 to less than 30% in 2020. Wine is Ireland’s second favourite alcoholic drink with sales rising due to wine’s association with home consumption coupled with the hospitality sector lockdowns. Sales of spirits, the country’s third favourite category of alcoholic drink, dropped by nearly 5%, while Ireland’s fourth favourite drink, cider, saw sales hit hard by the closure of pubs, down by over 11%.
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Minimum unit pricing (MUP) now in force Minimum unit pricing for alcohol came into effect in the Republic of Ireland on 4 January. The minimum price is calculated based on the number of grams of alcohol, with one gram costing at least 10 cent. A standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol in Ireland, with the result that the minimum cost of a standard drink is now €1. A 12.5% bottle of wine has 7.4 standard drinks and should cost at least €7.40. A 500ml can of beer (4.3%) should cost a minimum of €1.70 while a 700ml bottle of spirits (40%) should cost a minimum of €22.09. For A 12.5% bottle of wine should further details, turn to page 6. cost at least €7.40
High demand for information on alcohol continues, says Drinkaware Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, has released figures that highlight the Irish public’s demand for information on alcohol. Throughout 2021, over 1 million pages were viewed on drinkaware.ie, over 6,000 people placed orders for public health resources through the website and over 32,000 individual resources were sent out to the public With support from Retail Ireland, Coca-Cola, Lidl, Diageo and Bulmers, Drinkaware launched a digital campaign aimed at raising awareness of the HSE low-risk weekly alcohol guidelines, binge drinking and what a standard drink is. This drove an increase in orders for public health resources and visits to drinkaware.ie.
New Revenue data shows alcohol consumption continues to fall New data from the Revenue Commissioners shows alcohol consumption in Ireland has fallen again. Every category of alcohol has seen a fall in sales since before the pandemic, with total sales down by over 10% in the last two years. “Having endured the The data shows that for the first strictest lockdown in nine months of 2021, compared to Europe, it is hardly the same period in 2020; beer sales surprising to see this dramatic fall,” said are down 3.6%, spirits sales are up Drinks Ireland director 0.4%, wine sales are down 13.0% Patricia Callan and cider sales are down 11.8%. Total alcohol sales are therefore down 6.4%. The comparison between the first nine months of 2021 and the same period in 2019, before the pandemic hit, are even starker; beer sales are down 17.8%, spirits sales are down 0.8%, wine sales are down 1.4% and cider sales are down 20.3%. Total alcohol sales are down 10.4%. Drinks Ireland director Patricia Callan said the data showed the long-term trend in falling alcohol consumption continuing, exacerbated by pandemic restrictions. “The fall is even more dramatic in the context of alarmist and erroneous claims at various times in the last two years that alcohol consumption was rising or even soaring – it simply was not,” Callan said. n
www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife January 2022