Russia to drink more Scotch than UK in three years

Scotch sales in Russia are set to overtake those in the UK in three years time, placing the emerging nation as the whisky’s third largest consumer in the world.

Scotch sales in the world’s emerging markets are beginning to catch up to those in the UK, US and France

Scotch consumption in the UK is set to reach six million cases by the end of 2013, according to research commissioned by Vinexpo. However despite the UK currently holding third place in the world’s greatest Scotch whisky drinkers table, a drop in consumption of up to 3% by 2016 means Britain will fall into fourth position.

Consumption in Russia however, which is currently earmarked to rise to 4.7 million cases this year, will grow up to 6.5 million cases by 2016, overtaking sales in the UK which are expected to reach 5.6 million cases.

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 whisky.”

The amount drunk in Brazil, another exciting emerging market alongside Russia, is also set to soar over the next three years to 5.5 million cases.

A seperate report by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) in October last year revealed that Scotch whisky exports are driven by sales to countries such as Latvia and Estonia – gateways to Russia.

France continues to lead the world’s Scotch-drinking economies by leaps with an estimated 14 million case sales this year, and a projected 14.4 million case sales in 2016.

The US trails somewhat behind, with an estimated 8.2 million case sales in 2013 and 8.4 million in 2016.