Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the HKWSF is well-organised and a must-attend event for wine and spirits companies that are serious about their growth in Asia. Trade fairs such as HKWSF are very good indicators of the future of the spirits market in their respective countries and/or continents. These are our key learnings.

Whisky is standing strong

The Whisky boom in Asia is not going to burst any time soon. As of 2017, in Singapore, Taiwan and India were the top three Scotch whisky exports in Asia (data from the Scotch Whisky Association) our time at HKWSF indicates that China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea will give them a run for their money. There is a clear trend in the type of scotch that consumers want. While single malts are still an important category for many Asian consumers, there is also a clear demand for a well-priced entry-level whisky, such as our own Scots Gold blended Scotch whisky!

The millennial purchasing power

Who exactly is buying all this scotch? Speaking at the opening conference of the event, Mr Hianyang Chan a consultant at leading market research company, Euromonitor, emphasised the millennial purchasing power. As this demographic come of age, they are becoming they key buyers and influencers in the wine and spirits market. They have a keen interest in trying and discovering new products but are not necessarily high prices.

Consumers want to know more

Not only is there an increasing thirst for Scotch, but there is also an increasing thirst in overall whisky knowledge. The simple descriptor of a whisky as a being a blend or single malt is not enough for the modern whisky consumer. They want to know which Scotch whisky-producing region the malt and grains are from, as well the type of cask used for maturation. Whisky drinkers are maturing and brands need to respond accordingly by communicating more about their product origin.

The 2018 Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Fair (HKWSF) may have come to an end but it’s really only the beginning of the Scots Gold blended Scotch whisky journey in Asia. A big thank you to HKTDC and everyone who came by our booth and supported Scots Gold blended Scotch whisky. We look forward to next year’s event!