Gin is proving to be just the tonic for Irish drinkers with sales nearly doubling in the past decade.
The nation downed 2.5 million litres of the spirit in 2018 – the equivalent of 100 million tipples.
This is up from just under 1.4 million litres a decade ago with figures from Euromonitor International placing Ireland sixth in the world for gin-drinking.
A Euromonitor analyst said: “Irish gin brands will continue to be popular with robust growth predicted for gin based on their provenance including Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin and Dingle Gin.
“Many of these brand owners will be focusing on developing exports as there is only a certain amount of sales possible from Irish consumers. There is still further potential to lure drinkers away from other spirits, particularly white rum and vodka.
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“Product innovation is likely to drive growth to maintain consumer interest in gin.”
The boom in Ireland has seen a raft of new distilleries springing up all over the country as the clear spirit has a much shorter run-in time than whiskey which takes years to ferment.
With World Gin Day looming, the craze for the clear spirit in large bowl glasses shows no signs of slowing down.
Euromonitor revealed the residents of the Philippines take the crown as the biggest gin swillers on the planet followed by the UK, where twice as much is consumed compared to Ireland.
Ireland is in sixth place after the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.
The country downed 500ml of gin per person last year.
Traditionally Ireland is seen as a nation of whiskey and Guinness drinkers while gin was viewed as outdated until recent years.
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But the revival of period dramas like Downton Abbey, which brought the swinging 20s back in vogue, is thought to be behind the new thirst for the trendy spirit.
Now the once old-fashioned G&T is downed in goblets in trendy bars with an ever-growing list of garnishes from cucumber and grapefruit to more exotic additions like star anise.
Euromonitor International revealed in its latest report on spirits in Ireland that fashionable gin is the fastest performer in both value and total volume terms over the past year.
Growth is predicted to be marginally slower going forward due to market saturation but brands are expected to look abroad for more business.
