Part one of All about Gin looks at some of the stories behind Ireland’s most popular gins, with advice from a mixologist on how to achieve the perfect gin and tonic, summer cocktail recipes, the ultimate gin and cocktail accessories and much more.
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GLENDALOUGH DISTILLERY
The story behind the drink is among its many appealing factors, according to marketing director Gary McLoughlin, who started up the Glendalough Distillery in 2011 with three friends who all worked in the drinks industry. It started out as a whiskey business and moved into gin later.
“We set up a whiskey company with a beautiful still in the Garden of Ireland,” he says. “I come from a marketing background and you can tell a very good story with spirits, much more so than with beers. Spirits are more thoughtful and pensive. It takes time and patience and deep pockets to make a good spirit. We set up Ireland’s first craft distillery and made our first batch of gin in 2014.”
Local company Wild Wicklow Foods had a part to play in that. “I was reading the Irish Times magazine in May 2014 and I saw an article about them. They were taking people out on foraging walks and then sitting down to eat what they had gathered. We had a chat with them and asked is it possible to use botanicals from the Wicklow mountains for gin.
Unique among distillers, they have a full-time forager, Geraldine Kavanagh, who picks the plants at peak freshness in a sustainable way that promotes regeneration. Glendalough was named Sustainable Distillery of the Year 2021 in Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whiskey awards.
As well as Wild Botanical Gin, Glendalough also produces a rose gin, made using the fresh petals of three varieties of rose; a poitín; and several whiskies.
Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin regularly scoops global awards, including the aforementioned double gold in San Francisco World Spirits Awards as well as The Gin Masters, IWSC and the Irish Gin Awards.
Tasting note
There is plenty of juniper, allied to notes of pine, green herbs and flowers, with a touch of mint and a freshness that carries on through to the finish.
Preferred pour
Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin, Schweppes Signature Collection Crisp Tonic, garnished with orange and rosemary over lots of ice.
BLACKWATER DISTILLERY
Blackwater Distillery is the brainchild of Peter Mulryan, a writer, broadcaster and iconoclast with a huge knowledge of spirits; and former musician and chef Kieran Curtin. The company, based in the small village of Ballyduff Upper on the banks of the Blackwater river in west Waterford, was established in 2014 and produces a range of spirits, including Velvet Cap, a whiskey, and an array of gins.
Blackwater No 5 gin is the cornerstone of the range, a classic London dry with juniper to the fore, created from a range of botanicals originally imported into Ireland by White's of Waterford during the 19th century. In addition there is a Wexford strawberry gin. In the past Blackwater has released various limited-edition gins, including Tamora Orange, Juniper Cask and even Barry's Tea. Blackwater also supplies Aldi with Boyle's Gin and Boyle's Raspberry Blush. During lockdown it launched Blackwater Tasters Club, with members receiving small bottles of unique once-off gins and other spirits with some truly memorable flavours every eight weeks. Next up is Wexford Blackcurrant Gin, made from Des Jeffares's locally grown blackcurrants; and a Lavender & Pink Peppercorn.
Once lockdown eases, Blackwater will be open for tours, tastings and masterclasses.
Tasting note
Blackwater No 5 leads with juniper, backed up by plenty of lemon and lime zest, warming spicy coriander and cinnamon and a long dry finish.
Preferred pour
Lots of ice, tonic water and a wedge of lime.
DINGLE DISTILLERY
Dingle was one of the very first new distilleries in Ireland, founded by the late Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley all of the Porterhouse Brewing Company. Elliot Hughes, son of the late Oliver, is now a director along with Mosley and LaHart.
Gin production began in November 2012, using water drawn from a well 240ft below the distillery in Dingle, Co Kerry. The first whiskey casks were filled a month later. Dingle now produces a range of whiskies, including some sought-after once-off small batch releases, and a vodka. The gin has become one of our favourites, widely available in pubs and off-licences throughout the country. In 2019 it won the prestigious World’s Best Gin at the World Gin Awards. The botanicals used include rowan berry from the mountain ash trees, fuchsia, bog myrtle, hawthorn and heather. Distillery tours have been suspended due to Covid but will recommence as soon as conditions permit.
Tasting note
Master distiller at Dingle Graham Coull says: "The unique botanicals found on the Dingle peninsula give a fabulously fresh, floral character that perfectly balances the traditional botanicals often seen in London dry gin and in particular juniper. For me, this combination provides a gin of unmatched quality. But to be honest, you really have to taste it for yourself."
Preferred pour
The perfect Dingle Gin serve is 50ml of Dingle Gin served over ice with a Poachers Premium Irish Tonic, garnished with a slice of orange and possibly a sprinkle of juniper berries.
STILLGARDEN DISTILLERY
“We are an independent distillery in the heart of Inchicore, Dublin, bringing our spirit of pro-social disruption to the world through science, community and nature.” So the Stillgarden website introduces you to a distiller with a difference, a gin with a conscience. The idea is to involve the local community and wider public in a unique project.
Stillgarden, which is next door to Rascals Brewery and pizza restaurant in Dublin 8, was founded by Viki Baird and Patrick O’Brien. They have a community garden, started as a way to clean up a piece of wasteland, which provides some of the botanicals used in their gin. From June 7th you will be able to enjoy a garden tour, followed by a complimentary cocktail on the terrace. Alternatively, Stillgarden has a distilling academy, where you can create your own unique gin, and offers a cocktail masterclass too.
The most recent innovations include a flexible 500ml drinks pouch containing one of their gins or vodkas. They also have introduced the D8 Rebate, whereby customers can return their empty glass bottles and pouches for recycling in exchange for a reduction on their next purchase.
Stillgarden offers a range of gift boxes as well as three gins, several vodkas, their own tonic water and various other drinks, available for nationwide delivery, next-day Dublin delivery and collection from Stillgarden’s distillery shop in Dublin 8.
The botanicals for the Social Gin include juniper, fresh, locally grown mint and lavender, rosehips, orris, caraway, cardamon, lemon zest, rowan berry, cubeb, angelica, licorice, black pepper and lime peel. It is a refreshing gin bursting with citrus and mint – perfect summer drinking.
Preferred pour
The Southside Social:
60ml Stillgarden Social Gin
30ml lime juice
15ml sugar syrup
5-6 mint leaves
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
GRACE O’MALLEY GIN
Grace O’Malley gin was launched four years ago and is already being sold in 20 countries around the world. “We won a gold medal at the San Francisco Spirit Awards recently,” says Stephen Cope, the owner of the distillery,
Grace O’Malley gin was created by the team at Inis Tine in Westport, Co Mayo, who are also responsible for the award-winning whiskies. The gin is inspired by the many stories from Granuaile’s long and fascinating life and to ensure her great, rebellious heart is never forgotten. Celebrating female leadership through rebellious spirit, the brand honours Grace O’Malley, regarded as not just one of Ireland’s but the world’s most inspirational and extraordinary female trailblazers.
A total of 14 botanicals is used. The defining aromatics include wild thyme, red clover, blackthorn, fraughan and rock samphire, all found in abundance along the Wild Atlantic Way. It is a distinctive floral gin that echoes the cool maritime coast. Grace O’Malley gin recently won its sixth international award, a silver at the San Diego International Spirits Challenge 2021. Irish solo sailor Joan Mulloy , a descendant of Grace O’ Malley, is now working with the group. The spirit of Grace O’ Malley lives on.
Tasting note
Intense herbal aromas with freshly wild juniper, citrus notes; a fresh front palate with intense grassy notes, dry heather with maritime undertones and a rounded, floral finish.
Preferred pour
The Grace G&T
In a balloon glass over ice
30ml Grace O'Malley Heather Infused Irish Gin
Top with tonic water
Garnish with a grapefruit wheel
THE MUFF LIQUOR COMPANY
Apparently Laura Bonner’s grandfather Philip McClenaghan was well-known on the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal for the quality of his poitín. Her aim is to revive the family tradition with a range of spirits, including a whiskey, a vodka, and of course a gin.
“I wasn’t that keen on juniper,” says Laura, “so it doesn’t lead with it, but it’s there, in the background. The gin starts off like our potato vodka, as a tribute to my grandfather, but it is more about citrus, with flavours of mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, with a drop of Champagne essence to give it a lovely finish on the tongue.” It has won seven gold medals and been voted best gin in Ireland in three competitions, so obviously she is doing something right. “It’s a smooth and easy gin with a soft opening – the perfect introduction to gin.”
The gin was launched in February 2018. “It was doing great for the first 18 months, although the last 18 have been more difficult due to lockdown. But we are bouncing back – now available in nine countries. Our cocktail boxes have been very successful.”
See themuffliquorcompany.com for a choice of gift boxes, including A Taste of Home, which includes Tayto crisps, Barry's Tea and Muff Potato Gin.
The perfect serve
Muff Irish Potato gin with a splash of tonic, a slice of orange and a twig of rosemary.
REBEL CITY GIN
Rebel City Distillery, in one of Cork’s most iconic industrial buildings, the former Ford factory in the docklands, has brought a taste of India to Irish gin. “It was founded by Robert and Bhagya Barrett,” says Gemma Power, sales and marketing executive. “He had always wanted to set up his own distillery and his wife Bhagya encouraged him to follow his dream. Maharani is quite different to most Irish gins. “Crafted in Cork, spiced in Kerala,” they like to say. Rebel City opened the first new distillery in Cork city in almost 50 years . At the same time, they launched Maharani gin, their first spirit. Three of the nine botanicals used come from an organic woman’s farming collective in Kerala, which is Bhagya’s favourite place.
Robert has a background in spirit production in Ireland and Vancouver. This project had been in the back of his mind for many years. The distillery building had been derelict since 1983, so with the owners and conservation officers from Cork City Council, they renovated the building, retaining many of the original industrial features. There are plans to open a visitor centre and a gin school.
Tasting note
Bhagya's says: "We moulded the gin around those nine botanicals from Kerala. It has less juniper than usual, with lots of spice and citrus, cardamom, cassia and a long dry finish from nutmeg and mace."
Preferred pour
The High Queen
40ml Maharani Gin
Chilled premium tonic water
A wedge of grapefruit
Mint leaves (optional)
Ice cubes
Pour the gin and tonic water over ice and mix thoroughly. Add the grapefruit and one or two mint leaves to garnish. Sit back, sip and enjoy.
BLOOD MONKEY
Blood Monkey Gin is the creation of entrepreneur Jason Kidd, who began his career with multinationals Diageo, Heineken and Foster’s in Australia before moving home to Ireland. He is also part owner of London craft brewery Anspach & Hobday in Bermondsey. Blood Monkey is not an ingredient but a reference to sailors who drilled into a barrel to steal the liquor inside, known as “bleeding the monkey”.
The gin, distilled in West Cork Distillery, has a malted grain base that gives it a viscosity more like a white whiskey. It is designed to be drunk neat, straight from the freezer or used in cocktails.
“In 2018 I started to explore gin and realised that they all seemed to follow a similar path. Coming into a growing market with a lot of brands already present, we wanted to be different – both with our brand and the flavours of our gin. It is inspired by the jenever recipes of the 17th century, still enjoyed in the Netherlands and Belgium, and brings a new style of gin to a category that is dominated by dry style and flavoured gins.”
The botanicals include Szechuan pepper and lime leaves, which “give it a slightly spicy kick and some extraordinary flavours”.
Tasting note
It has smoky caramel notes, preceded by the lemon peel you find in other gins. But it should have more interest and less floral and citrus notes.
Preferred pours
Our signature serve remains served neat either directly from the fridge or over ice.
Our G&T serve: Double shot of Blood Monkey, Bitter Orange tonic, garnished with red grapefruit and smashed rosemary, all over ice.
Our Gin & G (ginger) serve: Double shot of Blood Monkey, Fiery Ginger beer, garnished with slices of fresh ginger and lime wedges, all over ice.
CONNACHT DISTILLERY
The name Conncullin comes from the two great Mayo lakes, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, from where the distillery water source originates. The small-batch gin is produced in Connacht Distillery in Ballina, Co Mayo, on the banks of the river Moy. Connacht also produce a number of whiskies, a vodka and a poitín. The distillery was founded by Irish & Irish-American spirits entrepreneurs including the former CEO of Remy Cointreau USA, Tom Jensen, and award-winning master distiller Robert Cassell.
Conncullin has been awarded a gold medal by the International Review of Spirits as well as being rated at 91 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Most recently it won a Gin Masters gold medal in December 2020. Guided tours have been postponed until lockdown ends. The shop and online shop remain open.
Conncullin is a big and bold gin, bursting with flavour: wild fruits, juniper and citrus peel with subtle spice.
Preferred pour for summer
A refreshing, aromatic Conncullin G&T
35ml Conncullin Irish Gin
100ml premium tonic
Pink grapefruit slices
Pomegranate seeds
Plenty of ice
ECHLINVILLE DISTILLERY
The Echlinville Distillery in Co Down was Northern Ireland’s first licensed distillery in more than 125 years. It produced its first spirit in 2013. It is owned by Shane Braniff and is based on the historic Echlinville estate, founded by the influential family of that name in the 1730s.
A variety of spirits is produced here, including Jawbox Gin, Echlinville Pot Stil Gin, Bán Poitín, Dunville’s Irish Whiskey and several liquors. These are genuine field-to-glass spirits made from barley grown in the fields surrounding the distillery. Echlinville has also revived the age-old tradition of distillery floor malting.
They are very proud of their most recent creation, Weaver’s Dry Gin. It is a tribute to the linen industry, once the largest industry in Ireland. The creamy texture is down to an infusion of Irish flax seeds in the distillation process. Weaver’s Gin was named Best Irish Classic Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards and was awarded a coveted gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Distillery tours have been suspended and the shop closed for the duration of lockdown.
Tasting note
A citrus burst of pink grapefruit interwoven with sweet floral notes, delicately draped in the creamy smoothness of genuine Irish flax seeds
Preferred pour
One part Weavers Dry Gin to three parts premium tonic. Garnish with a slice of orange and fresh rosemary over ice.
LOUGH REE DISTILLERY
Lough Ree is a multiple-award-winning distillery in Lanesborough, Co Longford. It was set up by Sheila Clancy and her brothers Michael and Peter. They have big plans for a new distillery and visitor centre in the town. They also have a gin school in Churchtown, Dublin 14, closed for the moment due to Covid. Michael tells me that the Gin School at Home Kit, their response to the pandemic, has done well for them with corporate events and other classes online during lockdown. See lrd.ie for details.
Lough Ree produces two gins, Slingshot and Aiteal. Slingshot is the first ever gin made using peat as a botanical. “The peat creates an incredibly rich and smooth mouthfeel, while adding a deliciously earthy finish to our otherwise bold and fresh Irish gin,” says Michael. “The citrus and mint give beautifully fresh top notes, the juniper and cardamom in particular add spice and boldness, while the peat finishes it off with an earthiness and rounded mouthfeel, balanced with a hint of freshness from the mint.”
Aiteal is distilled using fresh Irish juniper and Irish whey spirit, making it the only 100 per cent Irish gin. The word “aiteal” is the Irish for juniper. This is one of the few juniper-only gins produced worldwide.
Aiteal tasting note
"As might be expected, it is juniper-forward, but also has interesting green herbal notes. It's crisp and fresh on the palate with a long smooth finish."
Preferred pour
Serve in a G&T with classic, Mediterranean or elderflower tonic and a wedge of lime; or use in classic gin cocktails such as the martini and negroni.
SLIABH LIAG DISTILLERY
If you want to taste something wild and wonderful from the world of gin, An Dúlamán might be the one to try. James Doherty and his wife, Moira, returned from travels abroad to found Donegal’s first distillery in 175 years. At the moment they distil just outside the village of Carrick in Co Donegal. Construction has started on a second distillery in Ardara, which will be used for whiskey and conducting tours once completed.
Sliabh Liag produces two whiskies under the Silkie name as well as a vodka flavoured with rowan berries and gorse flowers. But for the moment, it is all about the gin. There is Santa Ana, aged in used Rioja barrels, and An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin, which was awarded a gold medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
“An Dúlamán is a savoury gin in a world gone sweet, a definitive gin of the sea,” says Moira. “Unapologetically savoury, it is my love letter from the Donegal coast. We try to capture ‘draíocht na farraige’ – the magic of the sea – in our classic if off-beat London dry single-shot gin with 11 botanicals – six conventional and five seaweeds, 10 macerated in the still and only carrageen moss vapour infused through a flavour basket in the lyne arm. Our production is ruled by the moon and we only harvest the shyest of the seaweeds, pepper dulse (the truffle of the sea) on the lowest tides of a full moon.”
Tasting note
As Moira suggests, An Dúlamán is a savoury, mineral, briny gin with the quite unique umami flavours of the Donegal coast alongside juniper and other botanicals. "It is a breath of sea air rather than a slap in the face," says James Doherty.
Preferred pour
An Dúlamán is lovely by itself, with elderflower tonic, in a martini or a negroni.
OLD CARRICK MILL DISTILLERY
Steven Murphy started Old Carrick Mill in 2014, taking a couple of years to get up and running. He believes Old Carrick Mill Gin was the first legal spirit to be distilled in Co Monaghan in 157 years. “Some days this is the best thing in the world,” Murphy says, “and the others we won’t speak about.” They are waiting to be approved for whiskey distillation, which they hope to have ready in five to six years. They have already collected 50 used wine barrels from Ch Magnol in Bordeaux in which to age the first whiskey. The distillery is sited in an old flour mill in Carrickmacross.
Murphy selected Mo Chara Small Batch Irish Pink Gin, available exclusively through Aldi, as his featured gin. “We did a couple of trials last year,” he says, “which worked very well, and so we have another six-month trial with Aldi that started in March.”
Tasting note
It opens up on a classic note with plenty of juniper, with the grapefruit coming through on the finish. It is a pink gin but it is not super-sweet.
Preferred pour
"Obviously it goes well in a gin and tonic, preferably with red fruits, but we like it with an elderflower tonic, raspberries and mint – and the sunshine streaming down."
SKELLIG SIX18 DISTILLERY
“We are between the sea and the mountains here, and people have always needed to be tough and resilient to thrive here,” says Aoife Breen, brand marketing manager. “Our brand is all about that. We are bringing life back into this building, which used to be a big sock factory that employed over 300 people. 2020 was effectively year one for us, and it was a quite tough. We had built a lot of accounts with the on-trade and off-trade and then the on-trade closed.”
Skellig Six18 gin is distilled in Cahersiveen, in south Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way. The name is inspired by the famous monastery on Skellig Michael off the nearby coast that can only be reached by climbing the 618 stone steps to the top.
Collaborating with local sea foragers, land foragers, chefs and fishermen, Skellig Six18 selected a range of local botanicals that include birch sap, fresh Douglas fir needles, yarrow and a pinch of dillisk foraged from nearby Derrynane beach. The botanicals are distilled separately to gently extract the flavours and then blended prior to bottling.
As well as the distillery, there is an on-site gift shop open daily, and visitor centre, first opened in summer 2020, now reopened for tours, and ready to welcome visitors. Visit skelligsix18distillery.ie for more.
Tasting note
Skellig Six18 has fresh herbaceous notes from the locally foraged botanicals with crisp citrus and pink grapefruit.
Preferred pour
Tonic water, ice and a slice of pink grapefruit, a simple combination that brings out the crisp fresh flavours in the gin, and the citrus burst gives it the perfect finish.
WEST CORK DISTILLERS
West Cork Distillers, founded by childhood friends John O’Connell, Ger McCarthy and Denis McCarthy, all from Union Hall, has grown to be one of the largest and most innovative independent distillers in the country. While the West Cork whiskies are their core focus, they also produce a wide range of spirits at the distillery in Skibbereen, including Garnish Island gin.
Garnish Island gin is a very special gin made using 16 botanicals. It is inspired by the unique Italian gardens on Garnish Island in west Cork. It was crafted by Deirdre Bohane, one of Ireland’s few female distillers, and includes locally foraged botanicals such as hibiscus, iris, rose, rosemary and thyme that are cold-infused overnight.
Tasting note
Garnish Island has fresh floral aromas of iris, rose and hibiscus balanced perfectly by hints of rosemary and thyme. It is soft on the palate, herbaceous with juniper and notes of citrus, and a hint of spice, lingering in the mouth.
Preferred pour
For the perfect serve, West Cork recommends you fill a large glass with fresh ice, pour 50ml of Garnish Island Gin, 150ml of Premium tonic and garnish with a slice of strawberry.
