Russia to become third-largest Scotch consumer by 2016

The nations expected to import and consume the most Scotch whisky over the next four years have been revealed in a study by the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR), writes Luke Holmes.

The forecasts predict that France, closely followed by the USA, will top the list as the leading importers of Scotch until 2016. The French are expected to consume 174 million bottles of the spirit this year.

Robert Beynat, chief executive of Vinexpo, said: “While consumption of whisky in the UK is falling, exports are booming. The emerging countries with a growing middle class are keen to discover and drink Scotch.”

However, it is predicted that French consumption will fall slightly over the three-year period from 2013 to 2016, while demand in the US is expected to  increase over the same time period.

The UK is currently in third position and is expected to consume 72 million bottles by the end of this year. Russia is expected to overtake the UK by 2016 with their intake set to rise from 56 million bottles in 2013 to 78 million bottles in 2016.

Another country rapidly increasing its love for Scotch is Brazil which will be consuming 66 million bottles in 2016.

Spain’s forecast is the exact opposite. Both Diageo and Pernod Ricard stated in their half-yearly reports that sales in Spain were falling.

The IWSR research backs this trend and sales of Scotch have steadily decreased in the Iberian country over the past five years, with this trend expected to continue.

The research also claims that the world consumption of Scotch should reach 1.2 billion bottles by 2016.