Quick, name the world’s best-selling whiskey! If you guessed Officer’s Choice and not some two-bit brand from Scotland or the U.S., well done. The Indian blend ranked No. 1 for 2018, moving almost 34 million cases, according to International Wine and Spirits Research.
Last year, seven of the top 10 whiskey brands were Indian, including four of the top five, India TV reports. McDowell’s No.1, Imperial Blue and Royal Stag followed Officer’s Choice, with Johnnie Walker (a mere 18.3 million cases) finishing fifth. The bottom line: three out of five cases of whiskey sold globally now hail from India.
Following the money tells a different story, though
Besides Officer’s Choice, owned by homegrown Allied Blenders & Distillers, three of India’s four biggest whiskies belong to multinationals Diageo and Pernod Ricard. Then again, there is Indian-owned Amrut Distilleries, maker of the nation’s first single malt.
Last year, Whisky Bible author Jim Murray named eight-year-old Amrut Greedy Angels his top Asian dram. Is it only a matter of time before India conquers the premium market, too? We’ll be watching.🥃