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From Wedding Rituals to Fancy Distilleries, Asia Is Taking Over the World’s Whisky Market

The yearslong efforts by Pernod, Diageo Plc and other major whiskey producers to get Asian drinkers to spend more on their premium spirits are finally paying off, just as sales in established markets in the US and Europe show signs of slowing.

Asians will soon become the world’s biggest drinkers of all whiskies, Fox added. That’s as long as countries there don’t introduce additional hurdles, such as the alcohol bans in some states in India or the government-led drives against conspicuous consumption sometimes seen in China.

Understanding the hyper-niche areas in Asia’s markets has been key to beverage producers making inroads in the region. India’s cultures and regulations vary state by state, while the Chinese market requires focusing on individual cities and age groups divided into targeted five-year segments (Gourgues argues generational tastes in Europe, by contrast, coalesce into 20-year blocks). That’s why weddings have been such a good opportunity for the whisky industry, bringing together cultures and generations. Pernod’s research showed nuptials in Guangdong province are often elaborate multi-day affairs with several dinners offering more drinking opportunities than the lunch banquets common in the Sichuan region.

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