Latest news with #IrishWhiskey
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Buffalo Trace's Parent Company Debuts Garavogue, A Game-Changing Irish Whiskey
Garavogue In Sligo, Ireland, a short stretch of river called the Garavogue flows from Lough Gill to the sea. It's not long or dramatic, but it's central—threading past the town's stone bridges and through its history. The river gave the town its rhythm. Now it gives its name to something new: a whiskey that feels both rooted and restless. Garavogue 20-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey is the first release from Hawk's Rock Distillery, the newly renamed site formerly known as Lough Gill. It's also the first Irish whiskey launched under the ownership of the Sazerac Company, which acquired the distillery in 2021 and quietly let time, wood, and weather do their work. And while there's plenty of buzz around the rebrand and rollout, the most interesting thing about this whiskey isn't what's on the label. It's what's in the glass—and how it came to be there. Helen Mullholland When Helen Mulholland joined the Hawk's Rock team, she was already a legend in the world of Irish whiskey. The first woman to ever hold the title of Master Blender in the industry, she's spent over three decades defining what Irish single malt can be. But Garavogue? This was something else entirely. 'Never in my lifetime have I created a whiskey like this,' she said during a recent media tasting. 'As a blender, you're taught to be restrained, to find balance. This—this was about letting go a little.' She began with what she calls the 'canvas'—a whiskey that had spent 14 years aging in ex-bourbon barrels. 'That bourbon gives it honey, vanilla, a beautiful face to start playing with,' she said. From there, she started layering. Not just one or two finishing casks, as is common in high-end Irish whiskey, but five—each one pulling the liquid in a different direction, without letting it fall apart. And somehow, it didn't. Hawk's Rock Distillery The final whiskey is built from an ensemble of barrels that don't usually share the same stage. After its time in bourbon casks, the whiskey was portioned into: These casks weren't used sequentially—they were finished separately, then blended. Each component remained visible in the final pour, like instruments in a well-mixed track. 'We don't want to mask anything,' Mulholland said. 'You should be able to pick them out. And when you come back to the glass, it should give you something new.' Garavogue By the time Mulholland stopped tinkering, Garavogue had passed through more cask types than most brands would touch in a decade. 'It wasn't the plan,' she admitted. 'We kept adding. We kept layering. And the more we did, the more it worked.' It wasn't about flash or novelty. It was about balance—a word she used repeatedly during the tasting, but not as a euphemism for safe or predictable. In this context, it meant building a whiskey that could hold tension. Something sweet but not cloying. Complex but not chaotic. A whiskey that could evolve in the glass, or even just in the mood of the person drinking it. 'It's balanced,' she said. 'But it's layered. It changes. It's emotional.' Garavogue The final product is bottled at 47% ABV, unfiltered and without artificial coloring. It's strong enough to stand up to a splash of water—'which I encourage, if you like,' said Mulholland—but soft enough to sip neat. 'If someone poured Coke in it, they might get a look of concern,' she joked. 'But ultimately, it's your bottle.' The design of that bottle nods back to the river that inspired it. Its reversed crescent shape and wave-textured glass recall flowing water, while the label includes the coordinates for Hazelwood House Windmill, a local landmark visible from the distillery grounds. It's a small touch, but one that ties the liquid inside to the place it came from. Garavogue River Garavogue is being billed as Batch No. 1, which, according to Sazerac VP Jess Scheerhorn, is more than marketing language. It's a signal. 'This isn't a one-off,' he said. 'We're making a statement not just about what we can do, but where we're going.' Future Garavogue releases might not be 20 years old. They might not even be single malts. What they will be, according to Mulholland, is 'curious.' That seems to be the thread running through this entire project: a willingness to follow the whiskey wherever it wants to go. 'It's balanced. But it's layered. It changes in the glass. It's playful, it's serious, it's emotional,' said Mulholland. 'I just wanted to create something that would make people come back to the glass again and again.' For now, Garavogue 20-Year-Old will roll out in limited quantities starting in June 2025, priced at $199 (700ml). It will be available through select retailers in the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., and Duty-Free, as well as on Legacy de Forge, Sazerac's new digital platform for rare and collectible spirits. And once it's gone, it's gone.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Ex-British Prime Minister appears in promo vid for whiskey owned by infamous bare-knuckle boxer
Dougie Joyce was previously jailed for causing grievous bodily harm after assaulting a 78-year-old man inside a pub on Thomas Street, Manchester Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has defended her appearance in a bizarre promotional video for a convicted bare-knuckle fighter's Irish whiskey brand. In clips posted to Instagram, the UK's shortest-ever serving leader can be seen at a launch party waving a bottle of Dougie Joyce's Irish Whiskey while swapping his 'Dougie Joyce loves ya' phrase for 'Liz Truss loves you'. Joyce who met Ms Truss during an event at Scunthorpe FC just months after he was freed from jail, thanked her for her 'tremendous support'. 'Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion,' he declared. "I am grateful for her support and the insights she shared, which will undoubtedly inspire us all as we look to 2026 and beyond." Former Prime Minister Liz Truss with Dougie Joyce News in 90 Seconds - 3rd June 2025 Ms Truss stood by her decision to appear in the promotional video after it prompted a backlash as it emerged how Joyce had been sentenced to 19 months in jail for his attack on an OAP. A spokesperson for Ms Truss said she had 'attended the event to support the people working to regenerate the town and Scunthorpe FC', and had done so for free. Later posting on x, Truss said: "The @TheSun is trashing my attendance at the Scunthorpe United FC Stadium Weekender - an event I attended to support the town and the football club. "The journalist said: 'It doesn't make a huge amount of sense that she would go to Scunthorpe for free'. "They couldn't believe I would go there without being paid." Joyce, 36, was previously jailed for causing grievous bodily harm after assaulting an old age pensioner inside a pub on Thomas Street, Manchester. Police described him as "an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78 year old man by carrying out this horrendous assault". However, he has since claimed to have turned over a new leaf as he devotes himself to charity following his release from prison. The father-of-three, who once boasted he was 'the next Tyson Fury', was jailed for a second time in May 2024 after finding himself involved in a violent brawl with a rival family at a wake, according to MailOnline. He and his brother Tom, then 27, were convicted after chaos erupted in the Vine pub in Collyhurst, Manchester as members of the Joyce and Doherty family clashed in the latest episode of a long-running feud. Dougie Joyce Two members of the Doherty family were taken to hospital with 'significant injuries'. Dougie was handed a 13-month jail term, while Tom was sentenced to 22 months in prison. The boxer, who turned down a role on reality TV show My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, was already serving a 19-month sentence for causing grievous bodily harm to the 78-year-old man he attacked in a pub. He previously told the Manchester Evening News (MEN) of his aspiration to change the perception of bare knuckle boxing as 'people have made it sound barbaric' "But it is really not that bad,' he insisted. 'You have got your medics, you've got your referees, everything is all done professionally. I am proud to say every show I have had, there has been not one problem, no kick off, no violence. "Everybody who comes has a good night and what we are doing is making it kid friendly too, 16 upwards, allowing them to come down and enjoy the show. We want to encourage families to come down and enjoy a great evening." According to MEN, Joyce has launched a number of businesses in addition to his whisky and boxing promoters, including bespoke furniture and activewear companies.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Liz Truss promotes whiskey launched by fighter once jailed for punching pensioner
Liz Truss has promoted a new Irish whiskey launched by a bare-knuckle fighter who was once jailed for punching a pensioner. The former prime minister attended the launch event for Joyce's Irish Whiskey, a brand from 36-year-old Dougie Joyce, last month and was pictured sitting next to him. She also appeared in a video with the fighter, which he shared on social media, where he handed her a bottle and said his catchphrase: 'Just remember, Dougie Joyce loves ya.' Ms Truss took the product from him and said 'Liz Truss loves you'. A source close to the former prime minister said she was not paid to attend the event at Scunthorpe United's stadium. Mr Joyce, a Traveller, was handed a 19-month jail sentence for grievous bodily harm in 2023 after he repeatedly punched a 78-year-old man in the face in a pub brawl. He was wearing a 'large gold pyramid-style ring' that caused the pensioner 'significant injury', according to Greater Manchester Police at the time. Detective Constable Natalie Hollows described him afterwards as 'an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78 year-old man'. The fighter turned businessman was later given a 13-month sentence for violent disorder following a fight at a wake involving a rival Traveller family. A spokesman for Ms Truss said she attended the event in Scunthorpe 'to support the people working to regenerate the town and Scunthorpe FC', adding: 'I thought the Government believed in the rehabilitation of offenders.' Mr Joyce once claimed that he would be the 'next Tyson Fury', a former professional boxer also from the Traveller community, and turned down a role on the reality television programme My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. He shared photographs of the launch event on Instagram, and wrote: 'Her presence was a tremendous support, and she took the time to speak about the future of business and the steps we can take moving forward. 'Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion. I am grateful for her support and the insights she shared, which will undoubtedly inspire us all as we look ahead to 2026 and beyond.' A source told The Sun, which first reported the appearance, that the former prime minister 'either doesn't understand the implications or doesn't care. Either way, this is a serious lapse'. Ms Truss came under fire last February after attending the Conservative political action conference in America, when she was interviewed by Steve Bannon. She asked Donald Trump's one-time chief White House strategist whether 'once you've sorted out America, you can come over to Britain and sort us out'.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘They love Irish whiskey there': How one spirits firm is looking to Africa after Trump tariff threat
When US president Donald Trump unveiled his tariff plans on the world two months ago, those in the Irish whiskey industry quickly said they would target new market opportunities in Asia and Africa. Yet one emerging whiskey brand has already beaten them to one of Africa's biggest markets. Fionn Cox (27) set up Wexford's Element Irish Whiskey with a different strategy to most domestic-focused brands, aiming to take advantage of the growing demand for premium whiskey in Nigeria . The Waterford native gained experience of the region with Pernod Ricard as a Jameson brand ambassador in west Africa. READ MORE 'When I got out there ... I could not believe the love for Irish whiskey or how much was being consumed,' he said. 'You could run an event and sell 200 bottles of whiskey, which is something we wouldn't be able to do in Temple Bar in a month.' Nigeria, which has a large young professional population, accounts for 65 per cent of the company's sales, due, in no small part, to a €3.9 million, five-year distribution deal the company signed in 2023. 'Our commercial strategy was built around targeting emerging markets in Africa,' he said. The brand is trying to appeal to younger demographics in the growing middle class in 'overlooked' west African countries, initially Nigeria, and is laying the foundations to expand into further 'interesting' markets in the surrounding nations. Unlike previous generations, Mr Cox said, younger demographics were less interested in brands built on 'history, heritage and tradition'. Instead they are seeking 'more contemporary brands', which emphasise 'transparency and authenticity'. The brand name Element was chosen to appeal to African consumers as a 'name they can pronounce', distinct from traditional Irish whiskey names with 'a cúpla focal thrown in'. The appearance of Element's bottles is another choice, aiming for a 'premium look and feel', which is suited to the 'status-oriented' consumers it is attracting in nightclubs where bottle service is common. 'Element works very well in that setting, it lights up very well. It really turns heads,' he said. These choices have been working for Element, with the brand expecting year-on-year growth of more than 40 per cent, from €350,000 in its previous financial year to €500,000 to the year ending in June. 'We are the fastest-growing Irish whiskey in Africa,' he said. Mr Cox has received support from the veteran former Beamish boss Alf Smiddy, an investor in Element and a director on the company's board. 'He loved our focus on emerging markets, and he has been very helpful in connecting us to the right people in the industry,' Mr Cox said. Element's whiskey is produced on a private-label basis by Great Northern Distillery, owned by John Teeling, something Element is happy to be transparent about. When Element was founded, the original plan was to open a distillery, but the 'massive capital investment' involved in setting up its own distillery was prohibitive, Mr Cox said. 'In the next 10 years, we will see a lot more companies adopting this model of independent blending and bottling, which will be great for the industry as it will encourage innovation and new flavour profiles.' In recent months, as distilleries grew wary of US import tariffs, there has been a growing interest in expanding into African markets with 'several new entrants into Nigeria'. 'There are tonnes of challenges in west Africa,' Mr Cox said, noting that registering brands in the region could be difficult and that the collapse in value of Nigeria's currency had added to the challenge of working in the market. Despite the challenges, Mr Cox is 'excited' for the future and is now seeking further investment to fuel export links as far apart as Kenya , Angola and Mozambique .
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Liz Truss plugs whiskey in bizarre vid with bare-knuckle boxer who attacked OAP
In the bizarre new video, a grinning Liz Truss is seen alongside 36-year-old Dougie Joyce, who was jailed for leaving an elderly man with 'significant facial injuries' Liz Truss has been slammed for appearing in a video with a bare-knuckle boxer who served time in prison for a 'horrendous' attack on a 78-year-old man. The former Prime Minister is seen alongside convicted criminal Dougie Joyce in a bizarre new clip promoting the 36-year-old's spirit brand, Joyce's Irish Whiskey. Joyce walked free in November after being put behind bars for a 30-minute brawl in a bar in Manchester in October 2020, and was previously handed a 19-month sentence for attacking an elderly man in a pub. But in a video filmed at a recent launch event , short-lived Tory PM Truss is seen smiling and proudly holding up a bottle of the bare-knuckle fighter's whiskey to the camera in an apparent endorsement of his product. He is heard saying "Just remember, Dougie Joyce loves ya", before she adds: "Liz Truss loves you." Sources close to Liz Truss told The Sun that she had not been paid for her appearance at the event last month, which was hosted at National League club Scunthorpe United's stadium. Another described her appearance alongside Joyce as a "serious lapse", adding: "She's a former Prime Minister and has to be extremely careful who she associates herself with. You have to wonder if anyone did the due diligence." In a post last week on Instagram, Joyce described it as "great honour to have former Prime Minister Liz Truss as a special guest at my event", saying that the Tory ex-PM "took the time to speak about the future of business and the steps we can take moving forward." He added: "Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion." In October 2022, Joyce confronted a 78-year-old man in the back room of pub in Manchester city centre, shouting angrily before punching him three times, knocking him off his seat and causing severe bleeding. He then stood over the victim and urged another man to hit him, before delivering a powerful left punch that sent him crashing over furniture. Joyce then leant over the helpless victim and hit him another time while he lay on the ground. The elderly man was left with "significant facial injuries", in part because of the large gold ring Joyce was wearing. Speaking after he was sentenced to 20 months in prison back in November 2023, Greater Manchester Police's Detective Constable Natalie Hollows said: "Joyce is an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78 year old man by carrying out this horrendous assault. "Joyce was wearing a large gold pyramid-style ring when he punched the man in the face, causing him significant injury due to the size and shape accelerated by force and the series of punches he endured. I'm glad Joyce will now face time behind bars as punishment for his actions and hope he takes this time to reflect on the impact of his actions." And last May, Joyce was handed a 13-month jail sentence while his brother Tom was given 22 months in prison for a brawl with the rival Doherty family in another Manchester pub. Dougie Joyce ended up being released in November, and has since vowed to clean up his act by throwing himself into charity work and his drinks business.
