NEWS
SALES OF WHISKY IN SOUTH KOREA KEEPS RISING DRIVEN BY POPULARITY OF HIGHBALLS
By Tony Zhu
24-11-2023
Credit: Sava Bobov/Unsplash
Sales of whisky at major retailers in South Korea have outpaced imported beer, largely due to the rising popularity of the highballs cocktail.
Leading South Korean retailer E-mart recently reported that whisky constituted 13 percent of its total liquor sales between January and October this year, narrowly surpassing the share held by imported beer at 12.9 percent.
In 2019, whisky only accounted for 4.5 percent of E-Mart’s total alcohol sales, while imported beer accounted for 20.8 percent.
This shift is evident in Korea Customs Service trade statistics as well, where whisky imports reached USD260 million so far this year, much higher than theUSD220m of imported beer.
E-Mart attributed the robust whisky sales to the growing trend of at-home drinking and the popularity of highballs cocktail, which mixes whisky with soda water.
The surge in whisky consumption is particularly pronounced among younger consumers, with 40 percent of E-Mart’s whisky sales last year originated from customers aged 30 and below.
Whisky’s ranking in overall alcoholic beverage sales has climbed from sixth place in 2019 to fourth this year, trailing only domestic beer, soju, and red wine.
Meanwhile, imported beer, which held the second spot in 2019, has experienced a consistent decline, now settling in fifth place.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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