“Sales of Japanese whisky are booming in Norway, 44% up in 2015. Canadian whiskies are not doing very well generally. There is no support. In most of the markets there is a fascination with premium so Canadian whisky does not fit in with that trend,” adds Malandrakis.
Dan Lundberg concludes: “Innovation has also played an important role in attracting new consumers, combining the traditions of the past with the expertise of the present.”
So, it is difficult to generalise about the Scandinavian countries when it comes to whisky, wherever it may come from. With retail in all but one of the countries totally controlled by state-run monopoly shops, what brands people can choose from is decided by a couple of people in each monopoly country. Two things stand out – scotch still rules and Sweden is the major market for it. Local whiskies – it is early days. It will be a while before the brand managers of the likes of Johnnie Walker and Jameson have sleepless nights. But with the populism of all things ‘craft’ - think beer and gin and what the latter has done to vodka, you can understand why Diageo has bought into a Danish distillery. Just in case, as they say.
