Stuck for a Father's Day gift? Here are five Irish gins that make perfect presents

Irish Independent

13-06-2025

For a budget buy, it's hard to beat the old favourite of Boyle's Irish Gin, made at Blackwater Distillery by the same people behind my recent whiskey of the week, Blackwater 'Clashmore 1824' Irish Whisky. The lack of an 'e' in their preferred spelling of 'whisk(e)y' gives you a sense of how they like to do things their own way in Blackwater — but this gin is made in a classic style. It has picked up multiple international awards since it was launched in 2016, including Best Irish Gin at the Irish Whiskey Awards that year, and a double gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021.
For sweeter-toothed gin fans, Aldi is also introducing a third flavour to its range of fruity gins made in Co Monaghan. Mo Chara Strawberry Gin will join Mo Chara Pineapple Gin and Mo Chara Passion Fruit & Mango Gin from this weekend (all €19.99, 50cl).
Right up at the other end of the scale in terms of uncompromising gin flavour is my bottle of the week, a Navy-strength gin from Sliabh Liag Distillers in Ardara, Co Donegal. The term 'Navy-strength' refers to a rum or gin that is bottled at 57pc alcohol by volume (ABV), or 100 proof in American terminology. That higher strength translates into fuller body and flavour, making it useful in cocktails but also suitable for sipping on the rocks.
For the full backstory of 'Navy-strength' liquor, Simon Difford of diffordsguide.com does a good job of teasing out the intricacies of its history. It hinges on the Navy's dual need to protect the flammability of their gunpowder while keeping their crew's spirits up — quite literally — with the casks of liquor bought on their travels. The rigours of battle or violent storms could sometimes cause liquor to spill and dampen the gunpowder, but as long as they bought only liquor of at least 57pc ABV, then that gunpowder would remain flammable. As Difford explains, they could test the strength easily pre-purchase by wetting some gunpowder with a little liquor before heating it with some sunlight through a magnifying glass to set it alight.
For balance, I've included a trio of seasonal gins that each evoke a different scent of Irish summer, from buzzing hedgerows to roses in bloom to crisp Atlantic air.
Bottles of the week
An Dúlamán Santa Ana Armada Strength Gin, Co Donegal 57pc (50cl), €58
Sliabh Liag Distillers' excellent An Dúlamán maritime gin features local dillisk seaweed among its botanicals but, for something extra special, this gin has been barrel-aged in ex-Rioja wine casks and bottled at Navy strength in a nod to the Spanish Armada's ill-fated La Duquesa Santa Ana, which ran aground near Ardara, where the distillery is based. There's a Spanish warmth to this gin that goes beyond alcohol heat, thanks to rich spices, heady orange peel and sweet oak notes. Sip neat over ice to savour how the slow dilution mellows those punchy aromatics and flavours. Celtic Whiskey Shop, shop.sliabhliagdistillers.com
Silks Irish Dry Gin, Co Meath 42pc, €42.95
A crisp yet well-rounded small-batch gin produced at Boann Distillery with the vapour-infusion chamber of their Bennett copper pot still drawing out heady notes from delicate botanicals like elderflower, hawthorn and apple blossom, and some honey from the Cooney family's own beehives bringing a subtle sweetness. Molloy's, Leonard's Wines & Spirits, Celtic Whiskey Shop, boanndistillery.ie
Minke Irish Gin, Co Cork 43.2pc, €39
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Clean and cool with a freshness accentuated by rock samphire foraged from the local shoreline near Galley Head Lighthouse in West Cork, this whey-based gin from Clonakilty Distillery is produced on a ninth-generation family farm by the Scully family, proud sponsors of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity. SuperValu, CarryOut, O'Briens, Celtic Whiskey Shop, clonakiltydistillery.ie
Glendalough Wild Rose Irish Gin, Co Wicklow 37.5pc, €45
A dry pink gin with a sweet backstory, made by head distiller Ciarán 'Rowdy' Rooney in honour of his late mother, Rose, featuring rose petals from her garden as well as wild roses and other botanicals like wild water mint picked by the distillery's resident forager, Geraldine Kavanagh. O'Briens, Mitchell & Son, Celtic Whiskey Shop, glendaloughdistillery.com
Boyle's Irish Gin, Co Waterford 40pc, €24.99
A solid small-batch gin from a quality-focused distillery at an excellent price. Made exclusively for Aldi at Waterford's Blackwater Distillery featuring Wexford blackcurrants, Waterford elderflower and Cork apples among its botanicals, it is named after Waterford native Robert Boyle, who was a founding father of modern chemistry. Aldi