Korea Attracts World’s Whiskey Masters as Market Flourishes

Renowned Whiskey Masters Flock to South Korea

Recently, renowned global whiskey masters have been making consecutive visits to South Korea, indicating their recognition of the country’s rapidly growing whiskey market. Analysts project that global whiskey brands will maintain their pro-Korean stance as the consumer base expands to younger generations and the growth trend continues.

Mike Collings’ Third Visit to Korea

According to the whiskey industry on the 16th, Master Blender Mike Collings visited Korea this month with a career spanning 50 years. His visit was to participate in the Pernod Ricard Whisky Korea Edition launch event, celebrating his 50-year whiskey career.

The title of Master Blender goes to individuals who oversee the overall planning, design, and development of whiskey, including the selection of oak barrels, maturation methods, and the final aroma, taste, and quality of the whiskey. If likened to an orchestra, they are akin to the conductor. Considered a legend among Master Blenders, Mike Collings developed the Diageo Classic Malt, Flora & Fauna, and others, including Johnnie Walker Blue and Green, during his time at Diageo, the world’s largest premium spirits company. After retiring from Diageo, he established the Independent Bottling (IB) whiskey brand, Pernod Ricard Whisky.

This is the third time Mike Collings has visited Korea. He first visited the country 25 years ago and has since made consecutive trips last year and this year.

Billy Leighton and Kevin O’Gorman’s Inaugural Visit

On the 13th, Billy Leighton, Head Blender overseeing Pernod Ricard’s Irish whiskey distillery, and Kevin O’Gorman, Master Distiller, visited Korea to celebrate the domestic release of Redbreast 15-year. This is their first visit to the country.

Billy Leighton, a Master Blender with over a decade of experience, creates tasting palettes that make up the whiskey product line of Irish Distillers by combining various notes, ages, and grain types.

Representing the distillery as the Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman is responsible for maintaining the quality of all new pot and grain distillates produced in Midleton. He supervises the production process from brewing to distillation and tastes all whiskeys daily to ensure the correct flavor and the presence of the pot’s spiciness. He is a veteran who started his career in 1998 and has been a Master Distiller since 2020.

David Stewart’s Commemorative Visit

Last month, David Stewart, the former Malt Master of Balvenie, visited Korea for the first time in six years, along with two bottles of single malt whiskey Balvenie 60-year to commemorate his 60-year career. Starting as a Balvenie whiskey stockman at the age of 17 in 1962, he distinguished himself in whiskey tasting and was appointed the youngest Malt Master at the age of 29 in 1974. He then continued to innovate with new attempts that would become industry standards, such as ‘cask finishing,’ and joined the ranks of the masters. He was also awarded the highest honor from the British Royal Family for his career.

Elevating the Korean Whiskey Market

The successive visits of globally renowned whiskey masters to Korea demonstrate the elevated status of the domestic whiskey market. According to market research firm Euromonitor, the volume of whiskey sold in Korea last year reached 14.18 million liters, a 45.9% increase from the previous year, the highest growth rate worldwide. This is more than five times the global average increase rate (8.5%). Sales volume is expected to increase to 14.76 million liters this year.

The popularity of whiskey in Korea peaked in the early 2000s and has steadily decreased. However, since the onset of COVID-19, the culture of drinking at home and drinking alone has taken hold, causing a sharp increase in whiskey consumption. In particular, the perception of whiskey as a ‘hip’ drink has grown, making it popular among younger generations. The trend of highball, mixing whiskey with carbonated or tonic water, has also contributed to the whiskey craze.

An industry insider stated, “The Korean whiskey market has shown remarkable growth in recent years, making it one of the markets the world is watching. Although the domestic market is still dominated by Scotch whiskey, considering the growing market, there is a high possibility that non-Scotch whiskey markets, such as Irish and bourbon, will also grow.”

By. David Jeon