Whisky Isn't Just a "Dad Drink" Anymore and The Ben Buckler Is Part of the Shift

The numbers on who's actually drinking whisky have moved a long way from the old stereotype. Here's what the data shows, and why an approachable Australian single malt is well placed for it.

For a long time, whisky marketing assumed one drinker: older, male, and set in his ways about peat and proof points. The market data no longer supports that picture.

What the numbers say

Industry analysis from Lochs of Whisky puts women at roughly 36% of whisky drinkers globally today, a meaningfully larger share than the category has historically had, and one that's changed the conversation from 'niche' to something brands now build strategy around. Market researcher Mordor Intelligence sizes the global whiskey market at roughly US$155.87 billion in 2025, growing to around US$162.18 billion in 2026, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 4.89% through 2031, and identifies women as one of the fastest-growing groups of drinkers behind that growth.

The same research points to why: the rise of e-commerce and experience-led marketing (tastings, events, brand storytelling) is reshaping how whisky gets discovered, and that format tends to resonate strongly with newer, often female, entrants to the category. It's also correlating with growth in the premium and super-premium end of the market, not the bottom shelf.

Why approachability matters

The recurring theme in coverage of this shift is that newer whisky drinkers, regardless of gender, are gravitating toward more approachable, flavour-forward styles rather than the aggressively smoky, high-proof drams the category has traditionally led with. That's a straightforward opening for a whisky like The Ben Buckler.

The Ben Buckler is finished across ex-tawny port and bourbon barrels, which shows up on the nose as raisin toast and toasted marshmallow, through to a palate of sweet custard, baked apple and caramel, and a long, soft finish of marmalade and creamy almonds. It's built to be smooth and a little sweet before it's built to be a test of endurance, exactly the profile that tends to convert someone curious about whisky into someone who orders it again.

Leadership that matches the moment

It's also worth saying plainly: this isn't just a brand chasing a trend from the outside. The Ben Buckler is led by Kristy Bloomfield as global CEO and co-founder, put in place as the company enters its next phase of domestic and international growth. A woman running strategy for one of the more talked-about new entrants in Australian whisky isn't a marketing angle. It's the org chart.

Where this goes next

The whisky category spent decades being marketed to one type of drinker. The data now says that drinker is more varied, more curious, and increasingly female, and the brands that built themselves around approachability rather than intimidation are the ones positioned to benefit. The Ben Buckler didn't set out to fit a market trend when it started as 60 bottles for a birthday. It just turned out to be built the right way for where the category was heading.

If whisky has always felt like a category you needed a lifetime of practice to enjoy, The Ben Buckler is a reasonable place to find out that isn't true.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of whisky drinkers are women?
Industry analysis from Lochs of Whisky puts women at roughly 36% of whisky drinkers globally, one of the fastest-growing segments in the category.

How big is the global whisky market?
Mordor Intelligence sizes the global whiskey market at roughly US$155.87 billion in 2025, growing to around US$162.18 billion in 2026, with a projected 4.89% compound annual growth rate through 2031.

Who leads The Ben Buckler Whisky Company?
Kristy Bloomfield is global CEO and co-founder of The Ben Buckler, appointed as the company enters its next phase of domestic and international growth.