With the onset of the 2000s, the new Indian millennial alcohol consumer has been favouring American Whiskeys more and more as compared the previous generation whose choice of drink was Scotch.
During the 90s, the consumption of American Tennessee Whiskey was as low as a 100 cases a year, with the majority buyers being Americans living in India working at the embassy and the consulates.
With the advent of the popular drink ‘Jack and Cola’, Brown Forman India, which owns Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia, and Woodford Reserve, and several other brands, started seeing a considerable growth in its business. Brown Forman India also strategically linked the brand to rock music and motorcycles thereby increasing its popularity among the young generation.
Tennessee Whiskey, very popular all over the world, has now become the largest selling American whiskey in India. Jack Daniels has also become one of the most successful imported whiskeys in India, competing at par with the traditional Scottish ones.
Siddharth Wadia, director and general manager for India, Middle East and Africa for Brown Forman said that the company as shortlisted India among the largest markets for Jack Daniel’s globally. He said that as the consumer has started upgrading to imported/foreign whiskeys, the “American whiskey segment is growing faster than other premium whiskey segments.”
Wadia also talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected sales. He said that “Off-premise has emerged as the key channel during this period, as people are still not comfortable visiting on-premise stores.”
