A few weeks ago, the Embassy of Ireland in London was hosting #SpiritofSharing (organised by Irish food board Bord Bia): a showcase of Ireland’s new generation of drinks producers, and a great occasion to discover new and well-established Irish distillers over a few drinks 😀 !
The event celebrated the renaissance of the Irish drinks industry, with makers sharing their drinks, each produced with great respect for tradition and inspiration from the naturally abundant Irish landscape.
Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirit in the world, with sales of Irish whiskey expected to double by 2020. Ireland’s microbreweries have also seen a massive growth in numbers, from 10 in 2013 to the 90 in operation today.
While the countdown to St Patrick’s Day is on, what best way to celebrate Irish spirits than looking at 3 of the country’s hidden spirited gems?
In early 2015, Aidan, founder and CEO, took a different path from his orthodox London lifestyle. He wanted to go somewhere else, somewhere different, a life less ordinary. So he headed to Ireland with a business plan and a passion for whiskey. He yearned to build something. From this starting point, we have arrived at Natterjack – the devil-may-care product of Gortinore Distillery. A truly unique spirit that will throw out the rule book and drag Irish whiskey kicking and screaming into the 21st century!
The Connacht Distillery sits on the banks of the beautiful River Moy where the river widens into the Moy Estuary in Ballina, County Mayo.
The distillery is the the result of a dream shared by four men, three Americans and one Irishman, to bring pure pot still Irish whiskey back to the West of Ireland after an absence of over 100 years. These men share bonds of family and friendship. They also share a respect of heritage and a commitment to Connacht, one of the most natural and unspoiled regions of Ireland.
The Echlinville Distillery became Northern Irelands first licenced distillery in over 125 years distilling its first spirit in 2013.
Their Ethos: “We will not compromise in our desire to produce the finest whiskey conceivable. We will give it authenticity and provenance. It will tell the story of the land from which it originates, and of those who brought it to
Echlinville Estate was founded by the Echlin family in the 1730’s, a notoriously influential and powerful family in Ireland at this time. Most notably Bishop Robert Echlin who was the guardian and implementer of the new reformed church in the counties of Down & Connor. Robert settled in the Ards peninsula around 1612 becoming the founder of the Echlin’s in the area.
It was his great grandson Charles Echlin who bought the two story property in Rubane in the early 1700s and renamed it the Echlinville House & Estate. It may have changed down through the years but the majestic house still provides the perfect backdrop to exciting new times for the Echlinville Distillery.
The distillery see huge importance in paying tribute to this past by creating an exciting future.
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