Whiskey sales surpass beer sales for the first time in South Korea's largest supermarket chain
On March 2nd, it was reported that the sales of whiskey at E-Mart, a South Korean supermarket chain, surpassed those of eoe canned beer for the first time, making whiskey the best-selling alcoholic beverage. This marks the peak of the rapid growth in whiskey sales over the years, driven by young drinkers, highball cocktails, and aggressive marketing by global brands.
According to local media reports, in 2025, whiskey accounted for nearly a quarter (24.2%) of the alcohol sales at Yimai De and its warehouse-style membership supermarket chain, Traders.
Whisky sales surpassed those of Korean domestic beer (23.8%), ranking third with a sales share of 19.7%. The fourth was soju with 14.5%, and the fifth was imported beer (11%).
In South Korea, the world's tenth largest economy, the rise of whiskey has been brewing for many years. In 2022, domestic beer still led the sales share in supermarkets with a 24.3% market share, while whiskey accounted for 17.9%. However, whiskey sales surged by 51.4% that year, jumping to second place.
In 2023 and 2024, the whiskey category continued to grow, with increases of 25.2% and 16.6% respectively, and then grew by about 5% in 2025, which was enough for whiskey to surpass domestic Korean beer.
A representative from E-mart stated that this was the first time in the company's history that the sales of alcoholic beverages other than domestic beer ranked first. This aligns with the overall trend in South Korea, where spirits worth KRW 247.1 million were imported in 2022, marking the highest record since 2008.
As bars begin to offer more highball cocktails, young consumers are increasingly turning to Scotch whisky, which has become a popular choice for dining out and drinking at home, driving the growth of the whisky market. During a two-day whisky promotion at Yimai De Supermarket, all whiskies were sold out within 20 minutes.
According to reports, last year, E-mart and Traders sold approximately 3.2 million bottles of over 1,000 types of whiskey, making them the domestic retailers in South Korea with the most diverse range of whiskey.
Experts predict that the whiskey market will continue to grow. Last year, a bottle of rare whiskey worth KRW 75 million was sold at CU convenience store in South Korea, setting a record for the highest sales ever achieved by the store.
Since 2019, Diageo Korea has vigorously promoted highball cocktails featuring its Johnnie Walker and Bell's Whiskey brands, targeting large bars and chain bars through pop-up stores and promotional events. In addition, the company has launched a series of promotional activities featuring Korean pop singer CL and others, and introduced a sweeter version of Johnnie Walker Gold Label beer globally. These measures have effectively enhanced the market appeal of highball cocktails.
Suntory Global Spirits & Wine has also capitalized on this trend, promoting its Jim Beam and Horn Bill whiskies at affordable prices. At the end of last year, Suntory Holdings’ chief executive Takeshi Niinami said that demand for highballs in South Korea had surged and had outstripped supply from the group’s brands. He predicted that consumption of highballs in South Korea would more than double this year.
Pernod Ricard, owner of brands such as Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s and Grant’s, has also sought to capitalise on the drink’s growing popularity in South Korea by partnering with K-pop idol Lisa as brand ambassador, reflecting the critical role marketing can play in promoting a brand.
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