Sales of Jameson Irish whiskey grew 20 per cent in volume in the nine months to the end of March compared to the same period a year before, drinks group Pernod Ricard said yesterday.

The trading update from the spirits maker came on the same day as Diageo, the maker of Guinness, Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whisky, reported sales growth of 7 per cent for the first three months of 2011.

Both Diageo’s strong sales growth and that of its French rival Pernod beat forecasts, as sparkling performances by the world’s two biggest distillers in emerging markets in Asia, Africa and South America offset weak conditions in Europe.