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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST
Glasses of scotch whisky sit on a table during a tour of the Glenfiddich scotch whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

From China to America, sales of whiskies are taking off as old world distilling traditions adapt to new world markets.

The Scotch whisky industry said it exported 40 bottles per second in 2011 and it is now Scotland's largest international export ahead of refined petroleum (3.0 billion pounds) and business services (2.5 billion pounds).

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A cooper rolls a whisky cask along the floor before starting the process to repair it, using traditional methods and tools, at the Speyside Cooperage in Craigellachie in Speyside, Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A cooper measures the circumference of a whisky barrel lid during repairs, using traditional methods and tools, at the Speyside Cooperage in Craigellachie in Speyside, Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A stow of bourbon casks from the U.S. are seen at the Speyside Cooperage in Craigellachie in Speyside, Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Visitors look at copper whisky stills during a tour of the Glenfiddich whisky distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Commercial law enforcement personnel examine bottles of confiscated fake whisky before pouring it into sewage during a massive destruction campaign of fake products in Wuhan, Hubei province.

A total of 2,928 bottles of fake liquor were poured down into the sewage during the campaign, local media reported. The banner reads, "Destruction site of fake and copyright infringed products."

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Brand manager Ewan MacIntosh holds a measure of whisky in the Barrel Room of the Diageo-owned Dalwhinnie Distillery in Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Venezuelan women dance and drink whisky during a Playboy magazine party in Caracas.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Rick Wasmund, owner of Copper Fox whiskey distillery in Virginia, holds roasted malted barley at his distillery in Sperryville, Virginia.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

China's Vice Premier Li Keqiang (L) laughs as he raises a glass of whisky to Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond before attending a state dinner at Edinburgh castle in Edinburgh, Scotland on the first of his four-day visit to the United Kingdom.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Workers walk near some of the copper stills in the Roseisle distillery in Moray, northern Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Guests of the Baby Face night club drink a mixture of whisky and green tea next to the dance floor during a night out in Shanghai.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A worker looks at bottles of Johnnie Walker whisky on the production line at the Diageo owned Shieldhall bottling plant in Glasgow, Scotland.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A resident drinks whiskey from the bottle while in the sea at a beach in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

An employee arranges bottles of whisky at a supermarket in Shanghai.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A waiter pours whisky during a Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce party in Caracas.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A waiter is reflected in a mirror as he pours Scotch whisky from luxury brand Royal Salute into glasses at a launch ceremony for the release of the '62 Gun Salute' series in central Beijing.

The luxury whisky is selling at 15,000 yuan ($2,260) per bottle, with the launch consisting of a 'British Royal banquet' where 62 guests will fire 62 guns.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A woman drinks at a bar in a nightclub in Shanghai.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A whiskey tasting station is seen at the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A bottle of Macallan scotch distilled in 1926 is seen here during a preview for an auction of fine Spirits at Christie's Auction House in New York.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A cleaner uses a feather duster to clean a bottle of the luxury Scotch whisky brand Royal Salute on display at a launch ceremony for the release of the '62 Gun Salute' series in central Beijing.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

An employee of Copper Fox whiskey distillery in Virginia, Sean McCaskey, fills bottles of whiskey at the distillery in Sperryville, Virginia.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Distillers participate in the ceremonial hand bottling of the first George Washington Rye Whiskey distilled and aged for more than two years at Washington's Distillery, before the dedication ceremony in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

The distillery was authentically rebuilt using 18th century building techniques and marks the only historic site in the country capable of showing the early American distilling process from seed to barrel.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A worker pours a glass of whisky inside the Kavalan Whisky aging warehouse and distillery in Ilan, north eastern Taiwan.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

Claire Urquhart of Gordon and Macphail poses with a bottle of their Mortlach 70-year-old single malt whisky at Edinburgh castle in Scotland.

A 70cl bottle of the whisky, which is claimed to be the world's oldest single malt, sells for 10,000 pounds ($15,012) and the 20cl bottle sells for 2,500 pounds ($3753).

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

An employee of Copper Fox whiskey distillery in Virginia, Sean McCaskey, seals bottles of whiskey at the distillery in Sperryville, Virginia.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A master distiller samples four-year-old Jim Beam bourbon whiskey direct from the barrel as the whiskey was "dumped" for storage and eventual bottling at the Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A woman is poured a dram of Scotch Whisky during the distillers fair in Edinburgh.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A man looks at a glass of Single Malt Scotch during a preview for an auction of fine spirits at Christie's Auction House in New York.

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A whisky world: From China to America sales soar

Last updated on: January 31, 2013 14:31 IST

A distiller looks at the 10,000,000 millionth barrel of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey (R) in one the many warehouses at the Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.