New Irish whiskey flavoured bacon launched in Northern Ireland

Dry-cure processor Kennedy Bacon in Northern Ireland has developed an innovative Irish whiskey flavoured bacon.

The company, based on a family farm near Omagh in county Tyrone, has used Dingle Irish Whiskey from county Kerry in the Republic of Ireland to create the new product.

Mervyn Kennedy, the founder and managing director of Kennedy Bacon, an award winning artisan producer, says: "What we've done is to dry-cure our popular back bacon using traditional techniques to add the Dingle whiskey and then vacuum pack to seal in the distinctive flavours. It's proving hugely popular with fans of our bacon."

The company, which recently gained a Great Taste two-star gold for its gammon steaks, is a leading supplier to delis and independent food stores across Northern Ireland and is keen to expand sales in the Republic.

"We are doing some business there at present and would be keen to increase sales in what is our closest marketplace," Mr Kennedy says.

He met the team at Dingle Irish whiskey during a visit to Dingle last year as part of his participation in the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards.

"There was a workshop held in the distillery that was followed by a tour of its distilling operation. I developed a relationship with the distillery and decided to explore opportunities to create an Irish whiskey bacon.

"I was also influenced by the emergence of Irish whiskey as the world's fastest growing spirit. It made sense to see if a I could combine my expertise in dry-curing bacon, one of Ireland's best known meats with whiskey another traditional favourite," he adds.

Mr Kennedy has been producing traditional bacon and ham for over 30 years from his own herd of pigs on the family farm.

The Dingle Whiskey Distillery was established in 2012 and was among the first of a new generation of Irish whiskey products. It released its first cask three years later.

The whiskey is distilled in three distinctive, hand-crafted copper pot stills to create a distinctive Irish whiskey. It launched the first triple distilled single malt whiskey in 2016.