Irish Whiskey News & Stories

Another American company has entered the Irish whiskey market.  The latest entry is Sazerac Company, from Buffalo Trace fame, purchasing the Lough Gill distillery in County Sligo.  This follows several other ventures by USA companies into Irish whiskey: * Brown-Forman purchased Slane Irish whiskey in 2015 and has since built a distillery on the grounds of Slane Castle.  This partnership also provides sourcing of casks from brands like Jack Daniels as well as wide distributorship in the USA. * The original foray into Irish whiskey was made by Jim Beam in 2011 when the famed Kentucky bourbon maker purchased the...

The U.S. Is Officially the Biggest Consumer of Irish Spirits JULY 7, 2022 WORDS: NICOLETTE BAKER   For Irish distilleries and breweries, American drinkers seem to be a big fan. A recent report shows that a little over half — some 51 percent — of Irish spirit exports are traveling to consumers in the United States, according to Bord Bia, an Irish state agency that manages food and drink. Those United States drink exports were valued at 619 million Euros in 2021, or roughly $630 million USD. Out of those sales, spirits take the cake — a valued 561 million Euros worth of...

The Irish Whiskey Society America is excited to announce the release of its first Irish whiskey bottling.  The Limited Commemorative edition is a premium blend aged 10 years to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the IWSA.   This collaboration with IrishAmerican Trading Company and Achill Distillery from County Mayo was a year long process.  The whiskey itself was ready back in February 2021 but due to Covid related issues, took a year to reach shelves in the USA.  Approvals, customized labels, shipping delays, US Customs, and the three tier USA alcohol system during the pandemic made this go from a...

Things have been happening along the Causeway Coast.  Bushmill's distillery has issued a number of significant news releases over the past couple of months. During 2021, Bushmills brought several limited, super premium offerings to market as part of the Causeway Collection.  This was welcome news as many have been hoping for a brand revival now that Casa Cuervo owns the distillery.   The latest announcement is the pending release of the newest addition to their range of single malt offerings.  A 12 year old single malt will be added to the permanent range along with the 10 year, 16 year, and...

The 2021 Irish Whiskey Awards were held on November 11th at Powerscourt Distillery.  This was the eighth year for the awards which saw them return in person to an Irish distillery.  Previous award shows were held at Jameson, Dingle, and Kilbeggan to name a few.  Voters were comprised from various whiskey clubs in Ireland.  Results were compiled from blind tastings and announced at the Powerscourt Distillery event. The winners of the 2021 Irish Whiskey Awards are as follows: Overall Winner- Irish Whiskey of the Year 2021Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – Celtic Cask 1999 – Tríocha a Cúig – 35...