When someone says the word whisky (or whiskey in the U.S. or Ireland), it conjures images of rolling Scottish highlands.
Or distilleries with traditions stretching back hundreds of years.
But today, the world’s best-selling whiskies come from an unlikely source: India.
For this graphic, Visual Capitalist's Alan Kennedy partnered with Rare Whisky 101 to explore recent whisky sales and determine what the most popular brand is today.
The global alcohol industry is valued at around $1.8 trillion and is forecast to grow with a 9.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2025 and 2030.
The Indian and Chinese markets are largely responsible for this growth. These markets now have incredible demand for luxury and artisanal drinks. So it should be no surprise that eight of the 20 most popular whiskies globally are Indian.
India’s alcohol market, in particular, is vast and growing much faster than the global average. The Spirits Business estimates that in 2027, it will be seven times larger than in 2019.
India’s alcohol market has grown due to its people’s deep passion for whisky. While the nation imports from many of the usual sources, such as Scotland, the U.S., and Japan. Its local whiskies are so popular that they dominate global sales.
The most popular Indian whisky, McDowells, is also the most popular globally. The brand sold 31.4 million cases in 2023 alone, growing 2.1% year-over-year, nearly double the sales of the most popular American whisky, Jim Beam.
Today, the global alcohol market is driven by the massive demand for luxury drinks like whisky in large markets such as India. This demand has led to India’s complete dominance of the global whisky scene, with sales far exceeding those of any other region.
Are you interested in learning more about the diverse world of whisky?
Rare Whisky 101 is one of the world’s most extensive whisky databases, covering everything from indexes comparing regional sales to valuations of the rarest bottles of Scotch.