Updated 30 October 2026. The ProSpirits Report 2026 describes a spirits market seeking stability, with growth expectations concentrated in particular formats and drinking occasions. It is a survey of industry views, not a price index for whisky casks.
TL;DR
- More than 100 industry experts across 26 countries contributed to the report.
- 47% reported that their clients’ spirits purchasing volumes declined in 2025; 34% reported stability and 19% an increase.
- For 2026, 56% expected stable purchasing volumes, 26% a decline and 19% an increase. The published rounded figures total 101%.
- These are respondents’ observations and expectations, not measured global whisky sales or cask returns.
What does the report actually measure?
Published on 21 April 2026, the report is by Professor Simone Loose of Geisenheim University and Johan ten Doornkaat Koolman of NWDN. Contributors span producers, exporters, importers, retail and the on-trade. Its executive summary describes a structural market transition rather than an established recovery.
| Answer | 2025 observed (page 8) | 2026 expected (page 9) |
|---|---|---|
| Increase | 19% | 19% |
| Stable | 34% | 56% |
| Decline | 47% | 26% |
The two columns refer to different questions. The 2026 column is a forecast made by survey respondents, not a result for the completed year.
Where do respondents see opportunities?
The report highlights the tension between premiumisation and trading down. On page 8, 37% of respondents reported clients shifting to lower price points in 2025, compared with 18% reporting a shift higher and 45% reporting no change.
Among producers, 60% identified innovation as a revenue-growth opportunity, 56% stronger routes to market and partnerships, and 52% geographic expansion and export diversification (page 10). These answers describe priorities, not promised growth rates.
For whisky businesses, the useful question is how a product fits a real customer and occasion: an accessible tasting, a well-explained serve or a clear retail proposition. That is an editorial application of the report, not evidence that a particular distillery or cask will appreciate.
What the report cannot tell a cask buyer
It does not provide a transaction-level cask valuation model. The survey figures do not establish the value, condition or saleability of an individual cask, nor do they substantiate a recommended age bracket for buying.
A cask decision still needs its own provenance, ownership evidence, current condition, total costs and feasible sale or bottling route. Bottle auction results and general industry sentiment cannot substitute for those records.
Sources and correction
ProWein’s official report page and downloadable ProSpirits Report 2026 (pages 3, 8–10; reviewed 30 October 2026). The numerical summary above is transcribed from the report.
This article has been corrected to distinguish survey findings from whisky-market outcomes. Earlier unsupported claims about specific cask opportunities, distillery production and a quotation attributed to the report have been removed.
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