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# good things come etc
Can you guess what Ireland's favourite alcoholic drink is?
You can. You definitely can.
UNSURPRISINGLY, IRELAND’S FAVOURITE alcoholic drink is Guinness.
The old mainstay accounts for 34% of the total volume share of the market in the Republic of Ireland, and 19.8% share in Northern Ireland.
This information, which comes in newly released sales data from umbrella company Diageo Ireland, shows steady sales figures for a number of the company’s other products.
In the domestic market the sale of Gordon’s gin went up by 1.7% in terms of volume, although an overall net decrease in sales of spirits of 2% was seen. Smithwicks was seen to grow by 3% in terms of its share of the total volume of Diageo Ireland’s output, up to 4.4%.
Growth in revenue
Overall the company reported an boost in net sales of 5% up to £10.8 billion. This came with an increase in operating profits up 2% to £2.8 billion.
It is thought that the boost in figures could be down to the company’s acquisition of Indian company United Spirits, a move that it completed in July 2013.
The biggest market for the company in terms of net sales is North America, with 32%. This is followed by Europe with 24%, Asia Pacific with 21%, Africa with 13% and Latin America and Caribbean with 10%.
Around the world
Internationally Guinness has seen growth in the United States market, where it grew by 3%, and Western Europe, where it grew by 2%.
In recent times the brand has begun selling a wider range of products in these markets, including Blonde American Lager and Dublin Porter.
In other international markets sales were seen to decline slightly.
In Nigeria, a traditionally popular market, there was a decline in sales – something that was attributed to consumers moving towards more value products. There was also a decrease of sales in the Indonesian market, something that was attributed to restrictions that had been placed on the sale of beer in certain wholesale channels.
The company also reported a net increase in the sales of Baileys in the Colombian market thanks to the launch of Coffee and Dulche de Leche flavours.
Read: A Rathfarnham pub’s ‘rules’ went down a storm on the internet
Also: Taylor Swift had her afterparty at the Guinness Storehouse
