​​Gold for Jawbox as 'awesome team' gears up for even faster global growth

Now a local leader of the spirit and which is distilled at Echlinville Distillery at Kircubbin in Co Down, founder of Jawbox, Gerry White attributed the company’s successes to “the awesome team at Drinksology behind the winning brand”.

“From the very beginning our ethos was that if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing right, no skimping on quality, no shortcuts, lots of graft and a love for what we do,” adds Gerry. “The latest award is an important endorsement of our ethos.”

Global Gin Masters, run by Spirits Business, the industry’s main publication, is the most important event for the distillers of gins. The magazine also runs awards for other spirits.

Launched in 2016, Jawbox is just one of the golden ‘star’ brands in the DKG galaxy, which has developed into Northern Ireland’s leading businesses in international spirits. Other local spirits in the portfolio include the Dunville Irish Whiskey range which is the principal product from Echlinville Distillery, Ireland’s only grain to spirit processing operation which is located on a family estate that overlooks picturesque Strangford Lough.

The distillery produces Dunville single malts and premium blends for international markets especially the US and Canada as well as the historic Comber whiskey and Weavers’ Gin.

Headquartered in Belfast, DKG has established itself as a pioneering company at the forefront of the premium drinks industry. One of the group’s divisions includes Kirker Greer Spirits which owns, manages, and distributes successfully a range of premium spirit brands to international markets.

The divisions portfolio includes brands such as Ukiyo Japanese Spirits, Kirker Shamrock Whiskey, and Ginato Italian Gin.

The growing portfolio has been awarded accolades such as Best Gin in Australia, Best Gin in the UK, Vodka of the Year and Gold medals at the IWSC awards especially for its Irish whiskeys.

Kirker Shamrock Irish Whiskey, for instance, is unique in that it is a blend of whiskies from the four provinces of Ireland. Kirker Shamrock Four Province Blend explores a marriage of the three whiskey styles from the four proud provinces of Ireland.

Leinster lends an exceptional canvas of single grain whiskey alongside triple distilled single malt and light touch of peated malt. From the wild Atlantic coast of Ulster is added a complex and very old triple distilled single malt. Munster lends the blend a

lively triple distilled single malt, and from Connacht provides a sweet, creamy and spicy Oloroso sherry butt-aged triple distilled single pot still spirit.

The second DKG, Drinksology Creative, also based in Belfast, is a hugely successful design, branding, and marketing agency which specialises in the world of alcohol retailing and has notably designed some of the world’s most iconic bars, brands, and brand homes including: The Dead Rabbit, New York; The Johnnie Walker Experience, Edinburgh; Hinch Distillery in Ballynahinch; and Roe and Co Distillery, Dublin.

DKG, furthermore, has just strengthened its global management team by the appointment Ryan McFarland as their Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer.

In the new role, Ryan will be serving as an executive board member and shaping the business by implementing both brand and geographic expansion strategies in addition to building a worldclass team to execute against them at pace.

Ryan’s career combines a track record of building luxury and premium spirits brands with the development of strategic commercial growth initiatives within the global Alco-Bev sector, most recently as growth and innovation director Europe, Middle

East and Africa and Asia Pacific and China at the US Molson Coors Beverage Company, an industry leader, having previously served on the western European executive team. Ryan’s experience also includes multiple commercial and brand building positions at Remy-Cointreau and Bacardi Martini and Brown-Forman.

Steven Pattison, DKG chief executive, says: “The business is readying itself for growth, we are investing to make that happen and Ryan’s experience to date suits us perfectly to support this next stage. Having spent over 20 years in the industry, he

has gained a great reputation for building high-performing teams and strong customer relationships.

“He will use this experience to help develop and execute our growth strategies for not only the business but our brands too. It is a very exciting time for DKG as we seek to unlock the huge potential that awaits us globally.”

Ryan says what attracted him to the role at DKG was: “Coming from Northern Ireland myself, it has always been my ambition to take a Belfast-based business to scale globally and I believe DKG has a portfolio of exceptional brands to do this, backed

with a solid innovation pipeline, passionate people and a world of untapped opportunity.”