The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has registered ‘Scotch whisky’ as a certification trademark in the US as it looks to protect its national drink.

The US is the category’s largest global market, worth around £800 million in 2021.

The SWA said the recognition of Scotch whisky as a trademark “strengthens the legal protection for Scotland’s national drink in the United States, which is already protected under the US Federal Code, will make enforcement against counterfeit products being sold or passed off as Scotch Whisky easier”.

 The US is among more than 100 other countries where ‘Scotch whisky’ has been granted specific legal protection.

SWA chief executive Mark Kent said: “Scotch whisky – the UK’s largest food and drink export – is a firm favourite the US, which was the industry’s first billion pound market in 2019 before the impact of tariffs and the Covid-19 pandemic. The trademark registration is another sign of the industry’s determination to build back in the United States and ensure that consumers in a dynamic and competitive spirits market can be confident that the Scotch whisky they purchase is the genuine article.”