Questão de Inglês — Interpretação de Textos (Understanding) — FUNDATEC 2024

Surge in spirit exports as ‘spectacular’ growth of Irish whiskey continues

Some 15.2 million cases of Irish whiskey were sold at home and abroad in 2022 as spiritmakers in the Republic shook off the remaining effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales volumes of Irish-protected spirits, including whiskey, Irish Cream, and Poitín, improved by 5.7 percent in the year to 25.2 million nine-liter cases, with the United States retaining its status as the top destination for Irish tipples. In particular, Irish whiskey continued its “spectacular global growth”, reaching 15.3 million cases in 2022, an increase of 8.6 percent.

The UK became the second-biggest international market for the product, with Russia falling out of the top five in the wake of the war in Ukraine as spirit-makers pulled their products from the market there. The “meteoric rise” of gin, meanwhile, showed signs of slowing last year, with global and domestic sales, including Irish brands, falling 1.7 percent in the year in volume terms.

However, the industry body said this was driven by a slowdown in standard gin brand sales while premium gins “powered ahead” by 15 percent in the year.

(https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/08/11/surge-in-spirit-exports-as-spectacular-growth-of-irishwhiskey- continues/– text specially adapted for this test)