Americans are drinking more Irish whiskey than ever new research shows.

Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirit in America with a whopping 22 percent increase in sales.

The information comes from  market research group Technomic, showing volume shares of Irish whiskey showed the largest increase in the spirit category.
The increase is attributed largely to males and Millennials (men and women born after 1981).

Spirits expert F. Paul Pacult told Imbibe magazine last year that the appeal of Irish whiskey can be attributed to its approachability: "though distinctive and complex enough to satisfy whiskey connoisseurs, the spirit is also gentle and amicable enough for a whiskey novice to get to know."

A similar sentiment was stated in an article  published earlier this year by influential food blog Food Republic, founded by TV celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. Unlike Scotch, the writer noted that Irish whiskey “sets itself apart as the subtler, smoother spirit.”

Tequila, rye and corn whiskey also saw notable increases in volume, reports the NY Daily News. Vodka remains the leading spirit in the US with a 32 percent share of spirits volume.

According to the site Food Republic, the top 10 whiskeys to try include Jameson 12-Year-Old Special Reserve, Tullamore Dew 10-Year-Old Single Malt and Bushmills 10-Year-Old Malt.