Launched in mid September: Concullin Irish Gin is named for Loch Conn and Loch Cullin, the two lakes that supply Connacht with pristine, pure water. Master distiller Robert Cassell haswon numerous international gold medals for his gin, and developed this flagship gin with iconic Irish botanicals, such as elderberry flower and hawthorn berry. It has a beautiful berry nose and a big, bold juniper finish. It is hand bottled 94 proof (47% ABV). SRP: $29.99.
STRAW BOYS IRISH VODKA and POITIN are a nod to Ireland’s most famous party crashers! Crashing parties, particularly weddings, is a long-standing Irish tradition, and in the West of Ireland these mischievous surprise guests were known as “straw boys.” Straw boys would obscure their faces with large conical hats made of straw, pop into a wedding reception, dance with the bride and groom, have a quick drink, and then be on their way, their appearance was a sign of good luck.
STRAW BOYS IRISH VODKA is made with wheat, which grows abundantly in this region of Ireland. It is batch distilled in copper pot stills, hand bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV), and has a rich, luscious, silky, and semi-sweet mouth feel. SRP: $19.99.
STRAW BOYS IRISH POITIN is homage to the unaged white whiskey made illicitly by underground distillers in Irish villages for centuries. It is made in copper pot stills using traditional malted barley and bottled at a more restrained 90 proof (45% ABV) in deluxe decanter bottles.
BROTHERSHIP IRISH-AMERICAN BLENDED WHISKEY pays tribute to the roots of Connacht Distillery, a collaboration between one Irishman and three Irish-Americans that spans generations and the Atlantic. Two cousins, David Stapleton of County Galway and PJ Stapleton of Philadelphia, PA, conceived of the idea of bringing craft distillation back to their ancestral home on Ireland’s west coast after a nearly 100 year absence. They teamed with American-born Master Distiller Robert Cassell, with Irish ancestral ties and American-born liquor industry veteran Tom Jensen, whose mother hails from Sligo, just 30 minutes from where Connacht Distillery stands today. Brothership blends 10-year-old Irish pot still and American whiskeys and blends them to perfection before bottling at 45% ABV at New Liberty Distillery, Connacht’s sister distillery, located in Philadelphia, PA. The first of its kind since Jameson’s short run launch in 1937. SRP: $49.99.
