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America’s Bourbon Boom

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Bourbon, America’s only homegrown spirit, holds a special place in the country’s history. In fact, George Washington ran the nation’s largest distillery in the early 1800s.

Today’s infographic comes from WebstaurantStore, and it digs into whiskey’s history, production, market shares, and more. Even seasoned fans will likely pick up some new facts to share over that next dram of bourbon.

America's Bourbon Boom

American whiskey is experiencing an impressive resurgence, but the road to the current bourbon boom hasn’t always been smooth.

Grandpa’s Drink

In the 1960s, white spirits such as vodka were experiencing a big boost in sales. Inspired by James Bond, younger consumers were imbibing martinis and mixed drinks like highballs and Bloody Marys. As a result, American whiskey brands were beginning to see their market shares erode.

In an effort to reinvigorate sales, distillers shifted down-market to create lighter, cheaper whiskeys that were designed for cocktail mixing. Bourbon’s image – and bottom line – took a huge hit as young consumers saw the spirit as “grandpa’s drink”.

Back from the dead

There were a few factors that brought bourbon back into the mainstream.

First, the spirit got a big boost from Japanese companies. Both Kirin and Suntory are heavily invested in bourbon production, and their wide reach helped spark global demand, particularly in Australia and New Zealand:

Top American Whiskey Consumers

American Whiskey has also received a boost from hipster culture and the popularity of shows such as Mad Men and House of Cards, where heavyweight characters are fans of the spirit. Ultra-premium and craft batches are generating a lot of excitement, and there is still plenty of room for the category to continue growing.

In short, bourbon is having a moment.

Kentucky is winning big

Thanks to surging demand for American whiskey domestically and abroad, Kentucky’s economy is also profiting from the bourbon boom. The distilling industry now has an annual economic impact of $8.5 billion. As well, the industry is in the midst of a $1.2 billion construction boom as distillers reinvest capital into expansion projects (fueled by recent tax cuts).

The bourbon boom is benefiting employees as well. Average salaries in the industry have nearly doubled since 2001:

Kentucky Bourbon Boom wages

The Future

With brisk demand and expanding production, the bourbon boom is showing no signs of slowing down. For investors looking to capitalize on the trend, there’s even a whiskey-oriented ETF: WSKY.

This truly is the golden age of bourbon

– Eric Gregory, President, Kentucky Distillers’ Association

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Demographics

Mapped: Population Growth by Region (1900-2050F)

In this visualization, we map the populations of major regions at three different points in time: 1900, 2000, and 2050 (forecasted).

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Map of Population Growth by Region

Mapping Population Growth by Region

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

In fewer than 50 years, the world population has doubled in size, jumping from 4 to 8 billion.

In this visualization, we map the populations of major regions at three different points in time: 1900, 2000, and 2050 (forecasted). Figures come from Our World in Data as of March 2023, using the United Nations medium-fertility scenario.

 

 

Population by Continent (1900-2050F)

Asia was the biggest driver of global population growth over the course of the 20th century. In fact, the continent’s population grew by 2.8 billion people from 1900 to 2000, compared to just 680 million from the second on our list, Africa.

Region190020002050F
Asia931,021,4183,735,089,7755,291,555,919
Africa138,752,199818,952,3742,485,135,689
Europe406,610,221727,917,165704,398,730
North America104,231,973486,364,446679,488,449
South America41,330,704349,634,344491,078,697
Oceania5,936,61531,223,13357,834,753
World 🌐1,627,883,1306,149,181,2379,709,492,237

China was the main source of Asia’s population expansion, though its population growth has slowed in recent years. That’s why in 2023, India surpassed China to become the world’s most populous country.

Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Indonesia have also been big drivers of Asia’s population boom to this point.

The Future: Africa to Hit 2.5 Billion by 2050

Under the UN’s medium-fertility scenario (all countries converge at a birthrate of 1.85 children per woman by 2050), Africa will solidify its place as the world’s second most populous region.

Three countries—Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt—will account for roughly 30% of that 2.5 billion population figure.

Meanwhile, both North America and South America are expected to see a slowdown in population growth, while Europe is the only region that will shrink by 2050.

A century ago, Europe’s population was close to 30% of the world total. Today, that figure stands at less than 10%.

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