Traditional spirit from Northern Ireland wins in whiskey awards

A traditional Irish Poitín developed by two Londoners and distilled in Northern Ireland has succeeded in the annual Irish Whiskey Awards in Dublin.

The only spirit from Northern Ireland to strike gold in the prestigious awards was Bán Poitín.

Bán Poitín was created by Dave Mulligan, who has a background in the sales and distribution of spirits and beers, and Cara Humphreys, an experienced marketer with family links to county Clare.

The winning spirit is distilled by Echlinville Distillery at Kircubbin in county Down, the first licensed distillery in Northern Ireland in over 130 years.

The spirit is the outcome of market research over the past few years by the two business partners who share a fascination about the history and heritage of Poitín.

"We were delighted to win the gold award in such an influential event as the Irish Whiskey Awards," says Dave Mulligan. Poitín is the most traditional of Irish white spirits.

Bán Poitín is a single estate spirit based on the couple's own distinctive recipe, which features a blend of malted barley, potatoes, sugar beet and molasses. The barley is sourced from Echlinville estate.

The spirit is produced in distinctive 700ml bottle and branding and is on sale in major stores, including Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason as well as cocktail bars throughout London. The company has also had inquiries from the US and Europe.

The spirit, in addition, is protected by the EU Geographical Indicative Status designation by the EU Council and Parliament.

The awards, which are now in their fifth year, span a total of 20 categories and were held at the Bow St Jameson Distillery in Dublin

Judging of the awards was carried out by members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society and Cork Whiskey Society this year. Judging involved a series of blind tasting sessions in Dublin and Cork.