Worldwide sales revenues of Jameson Irish Whiskey increased by 25 percent in the second half of 2011, the producer Pernod Ricard has announced.

Between July and December the distiller said the “organic” sales growth surged by 25 percent. They said four-fifths of this amount was due to an increase in sales volumes while the rest was accounted for by the increase in retail price.

Jameson was among the star performers of the French-based distillers global portfolio. Pernod Ricard’s overall net sales for 2011 reached €4.61 billion. These figures are up by eight percent on 2010.

Within the company Mumm champagne and Malibu rum saw sales grow by five percent, while Havana Club rum sales were flat and sales of Kahlua rum-based liqueur was down by three percent.

The figures also showed that Pernod Ricard’s overall net sales for the year 2011 reached €4.61 billion, up by 8 per cent on 2010, with net profit for the year of €820 million.

Anna Mahmhake, chief executive of Pernod’s local subsidiary Irish Distillers, said Jameson was now in its 23rd consecutive year of growth, and that sales were likely to exceed 4 million cases in 2012.

Earlier this year Irish Distillers announced a further €100 million investment in its site at Dungourney, near Midleton, confirming it as its ‘global centre of excellence’ for Irish whiskey production.