Irish whiskey is in high demand worldwide and is quickly overtaking Scotch whisky in popularity in the premium drinks industry.

According to the Independent, the demand for Irish whiskey has exploded over the past decade. Jameson sales have increased 750 percent since 1988, the year Irish Distillers was acquired by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, according to the Irish Independent.

Previously, Scotch whisky was king, with 20 cases of it sold for every single case of Irish. But the first 6 months of this year, Irish whiskey outsold single malt Scotch on the US market for the first time since the 1930s. Now, for the first time ever, Jameson has placed into the top 30 of the worlds best-selling drinks brands. 3.4 million cases of Jameson were sold last year.

Last May, Irish Distillers launched a €100m expansion of its production facility in Midleton, east Cork -- to follow a new €100m ageing warehouse down the road in Dungourney.

Strategic product placement and clever marketing may be part of the reason for the increase in sales in the US. Placement of the Irish whiskey in an episode of the crime drama The Wire saw sales rocket, as did Lady Gaga describing Jameson as "my long-time boyfriend."

Prime minister Enda Kenny himself has declared war on Scotch whisky, saying, "So let the battle begin again with Scotch -- for my part I'll do what I can."

Says US analyst Rich Nagle, the president of the Irish Whiskey Society of America, says that while Irish whiskey's success is thanks to clever marketing and competitive pricing, "Irish whiskey is about the simple enjoyment of a good drink with kindred spirits."