A new €3 million, three-year EU co-funded campaign to promote Irish Whiskey GI and European Geographical Indication (GI) spirits in Japan and India has been launched.

The Spirits of Europe – GI campaign, which starts next year, aims to promote European GI spirits, with a particular focus on Irish Whiskey.

It marks the first EU co-funded promotion campaign to feature Irish spirits, with €2.4 million in European Union support secured at an 80% co-funding rate and €600,000 in matching industry funding.

The campaign forms part of the European Union’s “Enjoy, it’s from Europe” promotion policy, which supports campaigns designed to open new markets, diversify trade partners and raise awareness of EU quality, safety and sustainability standards.

Eoin Ó Catháin, Director of the Irish Whiskey Association, said: “Irish Whiskey is the cornerstone of Irish drinks exports, with 95% of the Irish Whiskey we distil exported around the world.

“As the position of Irish Whiskey strengthens in key emerging markets, we are one of the only spirits categories to see our global market share increase.

“Key to that success in future will be our growth in markets such as India and Japan, and I am delighted our distillers have received this vote of confidence as they seek to diversify their markets. This is truly a new dawn for Irish Whiskey.”

The campaign aims to raise awareness of Irish Whiskey GI and the diversity of the category among buyers, distributors, wholesalers, bartenders and on-trade decision makers in Japan and India.

Funding will support dedicated sector specialists in both markets, working directly with trade, alongside participation in trade shows and targeted trade media activity.

Irish Whiskey’s geographical indication (GI) status protects its name, origin and production standards. The Spirits of Europe – GI campaign secured funding through a highly competitive EU application process.

The Irish Whiskey GI application was submitted under the Third Country – All Markets category, which received 97 applications, of which just 25 were approved for funding.

According to the association, Irish Whiskey exports were worth €930 million in 2025, accounting for 43% of Ireland’s total drinks exports. While the US, EU and UK remain its largest export markets by value, Irish Whiskey distillers have increasingly focused on market diversification in recent years, increasing the importance of emerging markets such as India and Japan.