Whiskey drinkers around the globe including alcohol lovers in the United States and China are draining the worldwide supply of old single malt Scotch (made from one distillery). This has caused the prices of top brews to skyrocket, which has caused investors to cash in and strong alcohol-making plants to work overtime to meet the demand.
Rickesh Kishnani launched the world's first whisky investment fund. He explained that a shortage of old and rare single-malt Scotch has already started and the situation will get worse, according to CNN.
The big problem is that vintage single malt Scotch has always been brewed in a limited quantity. During any year distillers produce a set amount without knowing the demand for popular ages.
Another issue is that the industry adjusted to the current spike too late. Business plummeted in the 1980s with several distilleries going out of business, and just a decade ago Scotch exports were level.
In the US alone annual sales of single-malt Scotch almost tripled between 2002 and 2015. Meanwhile, the Scotch Whisky Association reports that worldwide exports skyrocketed 159 percent between 2004 and 2014.
One key industry change is that Asia now makes up 20 percent of all Scotch exports, purchasing 250m bottles per year.
For example, China's sky-high demand for old Scotch was been a surprise among industry experts. There is now a market for whisky three or four decades old.
However, the world's most expensive Scotch was sold at a Hong Kong auction. A crystal container storing Macallan "M" whiskey sold for about $28k in 2014.
Companies are starting to boost their production of single malt Scotch, but industry experts warn whisky drinkers will have to deal with a shortage for 10 to 15 more years.
Charlie Whitfield is a brand manager for Macallan. He reports that the company is working around the clock every day of the week, but they have to wait and let the containers of Scotch do their "magic."
In related news a new study shows that alcohol addiction affects the dopamine levels in people's brains, according to Medical Daily. German researchers learned this makes it harder to get a buzz and easier to fall back into alcoholism.
Here's how Scotch is made: