Whisky sales outpace beer at South Korea’s biggest supermarket chain

Whisky has outstripped beer as the top-selling alcohol at South Korean chain E-Mart for the first time, capping years of rapid growth driven by younger drinkers, highball cocktails and intense marketing by global brands.

Whisky made up nearly a quarter (24.2%) of alcohol sales across E-Mart and its warehouse membership chain traders in 2025, according to local outlet Maeil Business Newspaper. 

It overtook domestic beer, which accounted for 23.8% of sales, with taking third place at 19.7%, followed by soju at 14.5% and imported beer at 11%.

Whisky’s rise has been brewing for years in South Korea, which is the tenth largest economy in the world. In 2022, domestic beer still led with a 24.3% sales share at E-Mart, versus 17.9% for whisky. But whisky sales boomed by 51.4% that year, bringing the category to second place.

And the category continued to grow throughout 2023 and 2024, rising 25.2% and 16.6% respectively, before lifting by about 5% in 2025 – enough for whisky to take the crown from domestic beer.

An E-Mart representative said it was the first time in the company’s history that a category other than domestic beer had ranked first in alcohol sales. This aligns with broader national trends, with South Korea importing S247.1 million of the spirit in 2022, the highest amount since 2008. 

This growth was fuelled by younger consumers increasingly turning to scotch whisky, as bars began to serve more highball cocktails, and whisky became a popular pick for nights out and home consumption. During a two day whisky promotion at E-Mart, the store sold out in 20 minutes.  

Last year, E-Mart and Traders sold about 3.2 million bottles and 1,000 kinds of whisky, according to Maeil Business Newspaper. This is the largest whiskey lineup among domestic retailers.

And experts forecast continued growth in the whisky category. Last year, CU convenience store in South Korea sold a 75 million won bottle of rare whisky, setting a record for its biggest ever sale.

Since 2019, Diageo’s South Korea division has pushed its Johnnie Walker and Bell’s brands in highball serves, targeting large pubs and franchise bars with pop-ups and promotions. Campaigns featuring local “changemakers”, including K-pop star CL, alongside the global launch of sweeter-style spirit Johnnie Walker Blonde have helped widen the drink’s appeal.

Suntory Global Spirits has also capitalised on the trend, promoting its Jim Beam and Kakubin at accessible prices. Late last year, Takeshi Niinami, chief executive of Suntory Holdings, told Nikkei Asia that soaring demand for highballs in South Korea had outstripped supply of the group’s brands. He said he expected consumption of highballs in the country to more than double this year.

Pernod Ricard, owner of labels including Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s and The Glenlivet, has also sought to tap into the growing popularity of the serve in South Korea – partnering with K-Pop icon Lisa as their brand ambassador, reflecting the key role marketing can play in popularising a brand.

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