Surge in scoth whisky among young people in Europe not seen in UK

The popularity of scotch whisky among young people is pushing up sales worldwide - but not in British pubs.

It has become the biggest-selling spirit in countries such as Spain and Greece where it is regularly mixed with cola or as part of cocktails.

This contrasts with the British market, and particularly the Scottish on-trade, where scotch still tends to be seen by pub-goers as a spirit for older people that should be sipped neat or only with water.

While there was an upsurge in volumes in Britain for the millennium, there was a downward trend throughout the 1990s.

Growing demand from France, Greece, the United States and parts of south-east Asia pushed up exports for Scotland's whisky producers to a record £2bn last year, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Export sales to Spain hit £304m for the first time, an increase of 20 per cent year-on-year. With volumes reaching 158 million bottles, it was well over the 112 million bottles sold in Britain last year.

The most popular brands in Spain are blended whiskies, such as J&B Rare, which are regularly mixed. Drinkers also tend to be aged 20 to 30 and hang out in style bars and nightclubs.

Ian Good, chairman of the SWA, said: "The industry has ploughed a great deal of time, money and marketing prowess into cultivating the Spanish market. Scotch whisky is now the number one spirit there, the drink of choice for the clubbing generation."

In the UK, the owners of brands such as J&B Rare, Grant's and Chivas Regal have been building demand for blended whisky among younger drinkers, which has seen whisky marketed for cocktails.