Whiskey industry in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts

Whiskey is on the rise again in the United States after struggling with the rest of the alcoholic beverages industry for the last few years. Despite the recent setbacks, the U.S. is still the second largest whiskey market in the world, trailing only India. In 2023, the whiskey market in the United States was worth 18.6 billion U.S. dollars.

Trade

Whiskey is a strictly regulated spirit worldwide and may differ in base product, alcoholic content, and quality according to region. The United Kingdom, the home of Scotch whisky, was the single largest exporter of the spirit in the world in 2022, with exports valued at nearly eight billion U.S. dollars. The United States was in a distant second at 1.4 billion dollars. On the other hand, the U.S. was, by far, the biggest importer of whisky in the same year, with imports valued at 2.1 billion dollars.

Sales

In 2022, whiskey sales volume in the United States amounted to over 77 million 9 liter cases and in the U.S. spirit industry, sales volume of whiskey exceeded that of vodka for the first time, placing it in the lead. For American made straight whiskey (a whiskey which must be aged in a charred oak barrel for at least two years), retail sales reached 11.9 billion U. dollars in 2022. In contrast, blended American whiskey (made from a mix of different whiskeys and/or grain spirits, coloring and flavoring) had retail sales of just over one billion dollars.

Brands

American whiskey is typically distilled from fermented mash of cereal grain and comprised of different types such as: bourbon, corn, malt, rye, and wheat whiskey. Brands in the Jim Beam family are amongst the leading straight whiskey brands in the United States, accounting for 20.8 percent of sales volume, though smaller distillers are increasingly gaining market share. Other popular whiskey brands in the U.S. include: Fireball, Crown Royal, Jack Daniel's, and Jameson Irish Whiskey. In the global whiskey market, Jack Daniel's leads American whiskey brand sales.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Jan Conway, Jan 26, 2024

Key insights

Retail sales of straight whiskey in the U.S.
11.9bn USD
Retail sales of Canadian whiskey in the U.S.
6.7bn USD
Retail sales of Irish & other whiskey in the U.S.
2.3bn USD
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Current statistics on this topic

Revenue of the whisky market worldwide from 2019 to 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Spirits

Revenue of the whisky industry worldwide 2019-2029

Revenue of the whiskey market worldwide in 2023, by country (in million U.S. dollars)

Spirits

Global whiskey market revenue 2023, by country

Sales volume of whiskey in the United States from 2010 to 2023 (in 1,000 9 liter cases)*

Spirits

U.S. sales volume of whiskey 2010-2023

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