Scotch whisky industry amid global industry downturn Show amazing strength

Alan Powell, 63, a distillery investment adviser and co-ordinator of the British Distillers Alliance, said he had never been so busy, due to retire in 2021, thanks to a booming Scotch whisky market.

In the context of the epidemic and Brexit, global supply chain problems, soaring inflation, and the world's major economies are in recession, but the whisky industry is surprisingly strong.

In Scotland, the whisky industry has attracted significant investment, with the number of distilleries in Britain's five largest producing regions reaching the highest level since World War II, according to the Scotch Whisky Association. Markets such as Asia and Africa have also seen a surge in demand, with a rare cask of whisky, for example, sold to a collector in Asia last month for a record £16m.

"Even during the pandemic, I've been busier than ever," Powel said. "Last year, Scotch whisky exports accounted for 75% of Scotland's food and drink exports and accounted for all UK food and drink exports, according to the UK Social Welfare Office. 22% of the total and 1.4% of all UK merchandise exports.”

According to consultancy Hazlewoods, the growth of the whisky industry was one of the main drivers behind the almost 20% rise in exports from the UK beverage industry to £7.6bn.