Ireland’s Teeling Whiskey made its India debut through a partnership with Bacardi India, launching the Small Batch Classic Teeling Whiskey made exclusively for the Indian market. Jack Teeling, the company’s Founder and Managing Director, said it is looking to produce a second batch for India in January 2025.

“For a market like India, you have to get certain things right, like having the right importer who knows the market and represents you well. We also partnered with Bacardi in the US, which is the biggest market for Irish whiskey. For India, you need someone with a complimentary portfolio, with people on the ground, and a track record of being successful with other whiskey brands,” Teeling explained, adding that a small batch typically consists of 50 barrels of whiskey.

Bacardi, which owns a 79 per cent stake in Teeling Whiskey, previously did not have an Irish whiskey in its India portfolio, making this launch its first. Teeling added that the company crafted its offering for the Indian market with exclusive bottling, to create a proposition and taste profile that would resonate with emerging whiskey drinkers looking to experiment. Alongside, it also released another variant—Teeling Single Malt—in the country.”

“Indian consumers are whiskey drinkers, so it’s ingrained into the culture. Traditionally, it’s been Indian and Scotch imported whiskeys. Irish whiskey started from a small base, so it was underrepresented, but is beginning to play catch up. From around 2019 to now, Irish whiskey has grown fast. It’s the third largest growing category, after imported Scotch blended whiskey and Scotch single malts. We are at the Premium Plus end of the market, and growth over the last five years has been driven by Standard Irish whiskey. We feel consumers in India are open to trying Premium Plus imported whiskeys,” he said.

According to the 2024 IWSR India Report, while other whisky imports continue to perform well, Irish whiskey is the standout.

The report observes that the consumption of Irish whiskey in the country grew at a CAGR of 40.2 per cent between 2022 and 2023 and is projected to grow at an 8 per cent CAGR between 2023 and 2028, with the prestige segment leading the pack by growing at 20.1 per cent during the forecast period. In 2023, it was the second-most consumed imported whiskey type, with 444,500 cases during the year.

India is among the top 10 markets for Irish whiskey and is growing fast, he noted. The company will initially focus on markets in the north of India, primarily Delhi and Haryana. It will look to expand into other states in the north and, based on the performance over the next two to three years, consider establishing a more national footprint.

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