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Times
a day ago
- Times
My stay at Ireland's first whiskey hotel
Calling yourself Ireland's 'first whiskey hotel' is quite the claim — but this historic waterside spot on Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast can happily back it up. Formerly the Londonderry Arms, and newly rebranded as the Harbourview, it's run by a trio (hotelier Adrian McLaughlin, master Irish whiskey distiller Darryl McNally and entrepreneur Carl Harrison) who between them own two famed Northern Irish whiskeys — Limavady and Outwalker. So in addition to enjoying its refurbished rooms, you can immerse yourself in more than 200 whiskeys, an on-site whiskey shop, bespoke tastings, and a whiskey-fuelled food menu. They even place a small bottle of the golden liquor discreetly by your bedside as a nightcap. Sláinte. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Score 7/10A former coaching inn built in 1848, the hotel was at one point inherited by Winston Churchill — a fact to which framed 1922 deeds in the bar attest. Run by the O'Neill family from 1947 until last summer, when it changed hands, it has just completed an extensive £1.6 million restoration and offers 35 rooms, including three suites. Think homely but smart comfort with deep carpets, floral quilts and headboards on comfy beds, work by local artists and striped armchairs. Bathrooms glisten with brushed gold showers and toiletries by the upmarket Sligo-based brand, Voya. Rooms in the front have harbourside views, while those at the back look out onto the hills. Score 8/10While the spacious lounge is snug with sofas and a roaring fire, the characterful adjoining Wee Bar is filled with books, framed old whiskey posters and vintage Guinness signs. In the booth-lined Coach House restaurant, the hearty menu balances rustic dishes with thoughtful touches. Whiskey is naturally a key ingredient in starters, mains and desserts: pears poached in the stuff are balanced with crumbly goat's cheese and bitter leaves, while a moreish Irish coffee cheesecake is soaked in Outwalker. An impressive slow-cooked beef shoulder, meanwhile, is braised in Guinness, and breakfast majors on locally cured bacon and golden-yolked Ballygarvey eggs. Service is chatty and relaxed. 10 of the best places to visit in Ireland Score 8/10The Wee Bar hosts free trad music sessions on Fridays and contemporary local musicians on Saturdays. Throughout the hotel whiskey takes centre stage, with a stylish library and shop selling bottles, T-shirts, gift sets, tasting glasses, gilets and even seaweed bath detoxifiers. Co-owner McNally is a master distiller, a whiskey flight is a must, overseen by an expert who talks you through four distinct styles at one seating, sampling 15ml each. The hotel also hosts regular whiskey-themed events, including the Carnlough Whiskey Festival (August 20-23). • Read our full guide to Ireland Score 9/10Carnlough, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Antrim coast, has a harbour made for lingering — with fishing boats, lobster pots and chalk steps made famous by the TV series Game of Thrones. It's a 45-minute-drive from Belfast International airport (or a 50-minute bus ride from Ballymena, the nearest train station). Glenarm Castle, with its flower-filled walled gardens, cafés and craft boutiques, is three miles away. For an artisan coffee or brunch try Carnlough harbourside's Twilight Coffee & Bunkhouse, before making the atmospheric 20-minute walk up to Cranny Falls, a spectacular local waterfall. • Revealed: 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025 Price B&B doubles from £165Restaurant mains from £17 Family-friendly YAccessible NDog-friendly Y Stephen Emms was a guest of the Harbourview Hotel (
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Powerscourt Distillery: Receiver puts business and €35m worth of whiskey up for sale
Receivers appointed to the Powerscourt Distillery in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow have put the business and its assets up for sale. Documents relating to the sale, seen by The Irish Times, value its stock of whiskey at just under €35 million, including 25-year-old stock purchased from the Cooley Distillery. No value has been placed on the overall business in the documents circulated. The receiver appointed to the distillery, Mark Degnan of Interpath Advisory, outlines a desire to achieve a full asset sale of the business. 'At this time I am not considering individual or bulk cask sales, but reserve the right to enter into negotiations for such sales following the conclusion of this proposed process,' the receiver said in a letter to potential buyers. READ MORE The sales process has been dubbed Project Cask and a deadline of the August 5th has been set for expressions of interest. Mr Degnan was appointed as receiver on June 26th by the company's sole secured creditor, PNC Financial Services UK Ltd, which was owed €21.5 million at the end of June. Minority shareholders later sought to appoint an examiner in place of the receiver, with Joseph Walsh of JW Walsh accountants appointed on an interim basis. This motion was withdrawn in advance of the hearing, which had been set for July 17th, and the company re-entered receivership. Based in the Powerscourt Estate, Co Wicklow, the distillery is described as 'producing premium Irish whiskey with an in-house brand, visitor centre, bulk supply and cask programs' and operates in 30 markets across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. The company saw 'consistent revenue growth' with sales peaking at €5.3 million in 2023 before dropping to €3.9 million in 2024 'due to challenging international market conditions'. Revenue is projected to rebound beyond €5 million in the 2027 financial year, with a gross margin in 2024 of 48 per cent. The distillery has a production capacity of 360,000 litres of pure alcohol, with the potential to nearly double this capacity to 680,000 litres with a 'modest investment of €350,000″, the sale document states. Powerscourt Distillery's Fercullen Whiskey brand drove its growth from 2019 to 2023, with annual growth of 93 per cent. The visitor centre grew its numbers by 19 per cent in the period. The company is based in a 950 square-metre premises, in which the distillery, visitor centre and offices are located, in addition to a 930sq m meter on-site warehouse and three additional off-site warehouses. Powerscourt Distillery, Co Wicklow Stored in the warehouses is stock with a market value of €34.9 million, which the receiver's document states is down from a previous valuation of €41 million as of September 2024, 'driven by local market valuation drivers which are expected to improve'. The company, which is currently in a trading receivership, is said to boast an 'experienced leadership team'. Its staff are expected to stay with the distillery following the sale. With a holding of nearly 38.5 per cent, the single largest shareholder is the Slazenger family (who own the Powerscourt Estate), from whom the distillery rents the visitor centre and distillery property. At the start of June, rent arrears were above €550,000, but as an unsecured creditor they are left awaiting the outcome of the sale. Existing cask owners' contracts are expected to be treated as business as usual upon a sale. The receiver did not comment on the sale.
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Elijah Craig Encourages Happy And Gilmore Towns To Celebrate Sequel
Anticipating the excitement of Netflix's debut of Happy Gilmore 2, Elijah Craig decided to get in on the fun and celebrate towns named Happy and Gilmore across the United States. This Kentucky whiskey brand recently gave away hundreds of special viewing kits exclusively to residents who live in towns named Happy and Gilmore. The watch party kit included branded Elijah Craig golf gear, as well as movie essentials like popcorn and candy. 'It has everything they need to host a hole-in-one watch party,' says Kaitlynn West, brand representative for Elijah Craig. 'They'll just have to pick up a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch at their local retailer.' This promotion was well-timed, as Happy Gilmore 2 scored a hole in one. The film had 46.7 million views its opening weekend, making it the biggest U.S. opening weekend ever for a Netflix film. The sequel's popularity also boosted interest in the original film, which ranked third on the streaming service. The connection to the film was natural, says Elijah Craig, she points out, is 'the official bourbon' of the PGA of America, as well as the official bourbon and official rye whiskey of the 2025 Ryder Cup in September. The brand also sponsors two professional PGA players, Bob MacIntyre and J.T. Poston, as well as pro sports broadcaster, Amanda Balionis. 'Elijah Craig has deep roots in the world of golf both as fans and sponsors,' West says. 'You can't be that ingrained in the golf community and not be a fan of Happy Gilmore; it's a classic, so it only felt right that we get involved in the long-anticipated sequel. Elijah Craig first discovered that there were two towns in its home state of Kentucky named Happy and Gilmore, and that became the impetus for this special gifting. 'After we realized that, we thought we'd connect with towns that share these namesakes across the country,' West says. Happy towns in Texas and Arkansas were gifted. Gilmore towns in Arkansas, Missouri, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, and Oklahoma, as well as two different Gilmore towns in Illinois and Gilmore City in Iowa were contacted. 'We reached out to officials in each town to spread the word,' West says. Residents in those towns were really appreciative of the gifts, she says, adding that she didn't have an official count for the number of viewing kits that were distributed. Though you can't receive a free viewing kit if you don't live in those towns, you can enjoy some special cocktails to celebrate the sequel, West says. The Happy Gilmore-themed cocktails include Happy Days are Here Again (1 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. ginger liqueur, 2 dshes old fashioined bitters, 3 oz. hard cider), The Tap In (1 oz bourbon, .75 oz. pomegranate liqueur, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 2 dashes orange bitters, and 3 oz. ginger beer), the Gilmore Buck (2 oz. bourbon, .75 oz. simple syrup, .75 oz. fresh lime juice, 2 strawberries, and 2 oz. ginger beer), and the Hockey Stick (1.5 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. pomegranate liqueur, .5 oz. fresh lemon juice, .5 oz. simple syrup and 2 dashes Angostura bitters). The full recipes can be found here, located in the 'golf section.' 'The golf-themed cocktails are designed to be refreshing and balanced, perfect for a summertime watch party,' West says.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The World's Best Whiskey—According To The 2025 New Orleans Spirits Competition
A marriage of Scotch and American whiskey-making traditions, Lineage took home the top prize at the ... More 4th annual New Orleans Spirits Competition All the talk in the spirits world last week was reserved for Tales of the Cocktail, the industry's largest annual conference. But since 2022, the gathering – which takes place every July – has also played host to a lesser known judging event: The New Orleans Spirit Competition. A late arrival to the increasingly dense booze-award-industrial-complex, NOSC is looking to make up for lost time by coming out of the gates with an impressive array of professional palates. It helps, no doubt, that many of them are already in town for Tales. The competition also professes to stand out thanks to its unique evaluation format. The entries are judged, as described on its website, thusly: To be clear, the audience does not get an actual vote in the process. But they do enjoy a place in the room and are afforded an opportunity to be a part of the conversation. As such, it's a slightly more democratized process than anything else you'll see in the industry. And, as with any truly independent competition, each spirit is tasted in the blind. Ultimately, hundreds of awards are doled out ranging from Best of Category down through Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze. There's also a separate evaluation for Packaging Excellence. But what we care most about is how it all distills down in the best of the best distinctions. For that there are 11 separate 'Spirits of the Year." There can be only one for all the major liquor categories plus RTD, No & Low Elixir, and Syrups & Mixers. Today we're taking a closer look at what those panelists deemed the best whiskey of the year for 2025: Balcones Lineage, an American Single Malt distilled and aged in Waco, Texas. The unique 94-proof liquid marries whiskey making traditions typical to both the US and Scotland. To wit, it's made from a combination of Scottish and Texas-grown barley, which is then matured in refill and new oak barrels. The best of both worlds; Old and New. In the pour, this hybridization results in a sweeter, fruitier nose – raspberry, banana and apricot steal top-notes from the underlying malt. There is a dryness to the initial sip; cedar and sarsaparilla, opening up to reveal cinnamon spice in the finish. A prolonged breadiness stays with the back of the tongue long after it has gone down. All in all this is a fantastically approachable dram, particularly from this distillery – a craft darling which was purchased by Diageo in 2022. Balcones often brings to bottle higher-proof offerings that can be challenging to the whiskey novice. With Lineage, it has managed to walk that fine line, delivering something that satisfies newcomers and advanced sippers, alike. And it does so at the crowd-pleasing price of $40 a bottle. To take home the top prize, Lineage bested some big names from far more prominent genres of whiskey, including the Bourbon and Scotch categories that helped informed its creation – categories with hundreds of years of history. American Single Malt, by comparison, was only formally recognized as a style at the beginning of 2025. Perhaps laudable recognition such as this can help lift its stature on the international stage. Either way, it arrives at a pivotal time for American spirits as a whole. According to the most recent economic report from DISCUS, exports of such just reached a record high of $2.4 billion. And as of this weekend, the US and the European Union appear to be on the precipice of a new trade agreement which would keep those exports shipping out, tariff free. 'We are optimistic that in the days ahead this positive meeting and agreement will lead to a return to zero-for-zero tariffs for U.S. and EU spirits products,' says DISCUS president and CEO Chris Swonger. 'This will benefit not only our nation's distillers, but also the American workers and farmers who support them from grain to glass.' It'll also benefit European connoisseurs eager for their first sampling of American Single Malt. And for that, as the judges in New Orleans have made clear, Balcones Lineage is a sensible starting point. The whiskeys from Balcones distillery feel bold, clean and distinctly American. (Bill Hogan/Chicago ... More Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Is Jack Daniels Considered Bourbon Or Whiskey?
When it comes to bourbon, people have opinions. Like, strong opinions. And one of those opinions at the top of the list is: what exactly should be considered bourbon? And that brings us to the point of this article -- is Jack Daniels a bourbon whiskey or not? To start, Jack Daniels doesn't call itself a bourbon. All you have to do is ask them because they are very adamant that Jack Daniels is a "Tennessee Whiskey." It's all over their branding. That said, don't tell them we told you, but Jack Daniels technically meets all the requirements to be a bourbon according to the Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, including its proof. Bourbon starts with a combination of grain, yeast, and water. After the fermentation process, the leftover crushed grain is called a "mash." The "mash bill" is the specific types of grains used in making any particular whiskey. To be considered bourbon, the mash bill must have a minimum of 51% corn, though most have much higher. The liquid is then aged in charred oak barrels, and nothing else can be added other than water -- no artificial flavorings, colorings, nothing. So, all that said, why does Jack Daniels say it's not a bourbon? Read more: 12 Bourbons You Should Leave On The Shelf It's All About The Charcoal What sets Jack Daniels -- and any other "Tennessee Whiskey" -- apart is what is called the Lincoln County going into new oak barrels to age, "Jack Daniel's is dripped slowly - drop-by-drop - through ten feet of firmly packed charcoal (made from hard sugar maple)," according to the brand's website. Though unrelated to whether it's a bourbon or whiskey, Jack Daniels is also unique in that it draws its water from Cave Spring Hollow, a natural underground water source on its property. The company says it draws 800 gallons of water from miles below the Earth's surface every minute. This 56-degree water also brings minerals from the cave's layered limestone walls that help make the Tennessee whiskey so unique. To recap: Is Jack Daniel's a bourbon? Technically, yes. But is it also a Tennessee Whiskey? Yes, thanks to the Lincoln County Process of charcoal mellowing, it's branded as that as well. So, is that as clear as charcoal now? Read the original article on Chowhound. Solve the daily Crossword
