SALES of Jameson Irish whiskey broke the four million cases milestone in the six months to December, the brand's Pernod Ricard-owned Irish Distillers said in a trading statement.
The company also said its premium spirits portfolio had all recorded strong net sales growth despite the "challenging" market.
As well as a 5 per cent lift for Jameson, Powers sales rose 11 per cent, Prestige Irish whiskey sales increased by 30 per cent, premium vodka sales were up 5 per cent and premium gin sales rose by 29 per cent.
Irish Distillers chairman and chief executive Jean-Christophe Coutures, who is leaving the post to take up a new role within Chivas Brothers, the scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard, said Jameson - which has been driving the growth of Irish whiskey for the past 28 years - continues to thrive and is now in double or triple digit growth in 80 markets across the world.
He added: "In the six months to the end of December 2017 we are growing value (12 per cent) ahead of volume (11 per cent) with all regions contributing to this success.
"While the growth has been driven by the USA, Europe, Africa and the Middle East we have also seen a particularly strong growth coming in the Asian and Latin American markets."
Mr Coutures, who will be replaced in his current role in July by Conor McQuaid, has worked with Pernod Ricard for 20 years, also said that whiskey tourism was another important part of the Irish whiskey story, with number of tourists travelling to Ireland to visit Irish whiskey distillery centres increasing by 11 per cent last year.
"The reopening of Jameson Distillery Bow St - the original home of Jameson - last March undoubtedly played a role in this growth," he said.
"Our brand homes in Bow St, Dublin and Midleton, Cork will continue to support the Irish Whiskey tourism strategy target of trebling the number of Irish whiskey tourists visiting Ireland annually, to 1.9 million by 2025."
