Exports of Irish cream liqueur rose this year while Irish sales also increased.
According to new figures from the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI), globally 90 million bottles of Irish cream liqueur were sold in 2017.
Preliminary interim export stats for this year suggest that there was an export growth rate of approximately 8%, driven by strong export growth to the US.
In 2017, the US was one of the top five markets for Irish cream liqueur with 1.9 million cases sold and was followed by the UK, Canada, Germany and Spain.
At home, sales are also on the increase as 1.2 million bottles were sold in 2017, up 5.6% on 2016.
Meanwhile, interim retail statistics for the Irish market in 2018 suggest continued sustained growth of around 7% in the Irish off-trade.
"The Irish cream liqueur sector makes an important contribution to the Irish economy, purchasing 316 million litres of fresh cream from Irish farmers every year, sourced from 46,000 dairy cows," said Patricia Callan, Director of ABFI.
“The category has made an impressive comeback in the last two years.
This has been driven in part by innovation in the category, with producers experimenting with new flavours like salted caramel and white chocolate.
“Some producers have also been successful in positioning cream liqueurs as a ‘treat’ or dessert ingredient as opposed to being simply a spirit liqueur.
"Others have successfully positioned their products as a cocktail or coffee component."
