The alcoholic drinks market is heating up in Africa and global brands are taking notice. Though beer is typically favoured, tastes are shifting towards spirits. Diageo has dropped its prices in an attempt to tap this growing market and ensure that the rich and poor alike have access to its brand.

As sub-Saharan African countries have become more prosperous in recent years because of an improvement in living conditions and wages, trappings that define easy living in the Western world have followed. Cheap fast food is one, and it's fuelling an obesity epidemic across the country.

Whisky has long been considered a ‘serious’ drink enjoyed by men of a certain age, with picky fans often loyal to their beloved single malt. But now, thanks to experimental palates and a desire for ‘authentic’ brands, sales are soaring as women and Gen Yers raise a dram of the dark stuff.

Around 90% of people worldwide consider spirits to be an affordable luxury. No longer is drinking vodka, rum and gin just a means of intoxication – it's an experience to be savoured. But with the definition of ‘craft’ unclear, is it becoming little more than a marketing tag?