Op/Ed: Irish Whiskey's Blueprint

Horse deaths in U.S. racing. Poor prize-money in the UK. Declining attendances in Ireland. Finding good news in horse racing globally right now is like getting lightning in a bottle. Our sport needs a stiff drink. The solution might be whiskey in the jar.

In the same way that horse racing once dominated the sporting landscape, Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. But, suddenly within years, as Scottish whisky (Scotch) flourished, Irish whiskey lost its main customers—America due to Prohibition and Britain due to the Irish War of Independence. David Redvers's warning this week that racing may be 'teetering on the edge of oblivion' due to failure to diversify racehorse ownership could have also been applied to Irish distillers' failure to diversify a century ago. Even as Ireland gained its independence and Prohibition ended, Irish distillers' failure to adapt to changing tastes provided by Scotch saw further decline and what was once the once most popular spirit in the world found itself with only three indigenous distilleries left on the island of Ireland—a proud national export success story on the brink of extinction.

But if horse racing is looking for a comeback to copy, as the old Irish saying goes “What whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for”. A remarkable turnaround was embarked upon by visionary individuals who optimistically believed in the quality of their national product. The three distillers still left, John Jameson & Sons, John Power & Sons and Cork Distilleries Company, decided to merge to form Irish Distillers. The first new, independent producer, Cooley Distillery, opened in 1987 and French distiller Pernod Ricard put its weight behind Jameson after buying out Irish Distillers in 1988. Suddenly a trickle turned into a flood.

Today, Irish whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world with sales growing at more than 10% a year in more than 75 countries, quadrupling its global market share in 10 years. With 18 distilleries now in Ireland and 16 more about to be built, the success story is set to continue for years to come.

So, what can horse racing learn from this remarkable resurgence?

The growth of Irish whiskey—an experience echoed by flourishing bourbon (American whiskey) in Kentucky—has been fuelled by a cocktail of three simple ingredients: a focus on the heritage of the product, making craftsmanship central to its offering, and a splash of modern marketing.

Irish whiskey, like horse racing, is a national heritage product. People are captivated by Irish whiskey as a quality local product that gives them a dash of Ireland. Teelings Whiskey have copyrighted 'Spirit of Dublin' as its trademark, making a sense of place central to the company's emergence as the first new distillery in Dublin in 150 years. In contrast, there is perhaps no richer sporting event in history on the planet then the Derby, and yet this year to many it felt as an afterthought under the overwhelming shadow of an imminent Champions League final.

While Epsom remains a wonderful occasion, it has lost something with the move away from London's big mid-week day out and the heaving hill. Royal Ascot, to its credit, understands the importance of heritage. Royal Ascot has embraced the pomp and pageantry of the week with its slogan 'Like nowhere else' and positioned itself as the one of definitive events of the wider historical tapestry of the British sporting summer social calendar. Tradition has allowed Royal Ascot flourish further, notwithstanding the challenge of the London leisure market.

Irish whiskey understands that selling a whiskey is about bottling its mystique. Horse racing needs to present better its own mystique to the world. Imagine how fascinated the world would be by the sport if they better understood that Galileo has been champion sire 10 times thanks to his incredibly dominant genes? Or how a day on the gallops at Newmarket Heath is the same unchanged experience as that which has been enjoyed by horsemen and women for centuries? Or how, since its inception in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is the unwavering goal of every one of the 10,000 colt foals born each year in North America? Bring that to life and as whiskey distillers acutely know, the effect can be intoxicating.

The experience is central to Irish whiskey's success. A journey to an Irish distillery such as the Pearse Lyons Distillery or the Jameson Distillery in Dublin is a trip to a world of pedigree, process, and patience. You learn about the craftmanship, time and dedication as years of experience are poured into trying to achieve the best possible whiskey. The same values have applied to horse racing for centuries and yet we struggle to articulate it ourselves to a wider audience.

Millennials want authenticity as they encounter brands and an exciting story of origin for the product they want to associate themselves with. It's why Liverpool or Barcelona still capture the hearts of many ahead of Paris-St Germain or Manchester City. In Fethard, as usual, they are ahead of the pack. The Fethard Horse Country Experience is an interactive exhibition which aims to showcase the link between the people, the land and the horse in the surrounding area. We need to get behind efforts like this and the new Irish Racehorse Experience being developed at the Irish National Stud and seek out every possible opportunity to bring that passion for our product into the public consciousness.

Irish whiskey isn't afraid of some unashamed modern marketing either. While Mixed Martial Arts athlete Conor McGregor has his detractors, his success in promoting his Proper Twelve Irish whiskey is illustrative of marketing that racing could learn from. In contrast to his fleeting campaign for the Pegasus World Cup, McGregor embodies the whiskey daily—posting incessantly on social media, drinking it in press conferences and making the brand an extension of himself. You are left in no doubt that McGregor is part of each bottle of whiskey and that this is not just another endorsement. It might allegedly be a well-known brand repackaged but you feel part of McGregor's world, if even for a moment, and that's what consumers want to buy, and buy big. Proper Twelve has shipped over 200,000 nine-litre cases since its launch.

A cloistered industry where trainers and jockeys are reluctant to give media appearances cannot be tolerated for the future of the sport. Racing is on the shelf of life's choices, we need more people encouraged to reach out and drink it in.

The rise and fall of Irish whiskey shows the story isn't closed when it comes to a formerly world-leading industry, no matter how bruised and battered it becomes. When you have a product that you know has been loved before it can be loved again by the masses. Horse racing needs to focus on what it does best—a pride in nurturing the next champion through generations, bringing that mystical experience to life in the vivid colour of a race day and, it is hoped, being unafraid to innovate and push boundaries to entrust the sport to the next generation.

Whiskey shows that a focus on what makes something great combined with a dash of entrepreneurial flair can make a remarkable resurgence possible for any heritage product. But please, if it happens in our game, don't forget to drink in moderation.

What do you think?

Email [email protected] or tweet @JackCantillon