Dawn Davies is a Master of Wine and head buyer at UK retailer The Whiskey Exchange. In her inaugural column for DI she looks at the US-UK whiskey relationship and its future.
The US is on our radar 24/7, whether it’s algae in the Reflecting Pool, the World Cup or news of yet another tariff, and we’re invested in the drama. The US and the UK have always had that ‘special relationship’ on multiple levels, but do we need American whiskey in the UK retail landscape?
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, exports of American spirits declined 19% in 2025 with the UK part of that decline, but to a far lesser extent than other countries. With news of tariffs on whisky from the UK being dropped, we may see similar rebounds to the previous Trump term.
As an industry we always talk about bringing new audiences to whisky and the sweeter styles of bourbon and its lack of pretention are good gateway spirits for that new consumer. There is no snobbery around mixing the whiskey with a soft drink or adding ice – in fact, in many cases it is encouraged. Compare this to Scotch, which is trying to shake off its formal image but hasn’t got the easy-going charm of the US. Price is also a factor, especially today, when a bottle of Jim Beam Black 7 is around £30 and over delivers on price and flavour. You can easily add another £10 for Scotch of the same age and quality. Customers actually don’t mind spending on a bottle but they want that bottle to deliver for them on price-to-quality, which American whiskey can do.
LIVING HISTORY
We know that experience is a key driver for the customer and storytelling is part of that. Every time I go to Kentucky I am reminded why this state has won the hearts and minds of so many drinkers. You can sit with the people who own and run the distilleries and as you listen to the stories they tell, you cannot help being enchanted by this sense of generational knowledge and living history. The Noes, the Beams, the Samuels, the Russells and the many other bourbon legends are part of the charm of the bottle and connect your customers to that brand. Kentucky and distilling in the US has a rich history and understanding and telling these stories (and not just the marketing information you are given) can help not only convert the sale but leave the customer with a richer experience.
America is not all about bourbon and rye, there are some insanely good American single malts, brilliant corn whiskeys and everything in between, so before we turn our backs on American whiskey, maybe we should take a look at what it can offer the customer and how passionate the people who make it are.
