History in a bottle: First north west Irish Whiskey in 100 years heads to U.S.
Wild Atlantic, based near Castlederg in Co Tyrone, is the latest local distillery to win business in the US for its Irish whiskey, gin and vodka.
The small distillery, which was founded in 2019 by brothers-in-law Brian Ash and Jim Nash, has begun shipping its first batch of premium spirits to contacts there in a major business boost.
A jubilant Brian Ash continues: “This milestone is more than just bottles on a ship – it’s the realisation of a vision we had when we founded Wild Atlantic Distillery: to craft spirits that embody the wild, rugged beauty of Ireland’s Atlantic coast and share them with the world.
“Bringing our spirits to the US marks a huge step forward for our team, our community, and the people who’ve supported us on this journey. To see our handcrafted drinks reach new shores is something truly special,” adds Brian.
Wild Atlantic opened its doors in 2020 with a mission to revive whiskey distilling in Northern Ireland’s North West. The small company’s original Irish whiskey, IslandMen 1921, was the first legally distilled in the region, in over a century and was launched last year to widespread acclaim.
Wild Atlantic is rejuvenating the tradition of whiskey distilling in the North West that ended in the 1930s with the closure of Watts and Co, once the biggest whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland, following a bitter industrial dispute. Watts operated from the 1700s and was famed for its Tyrconnel Irish whiskey, once among the most popular whiskeys in the US.
The Tyrone distillery, which has plans to expand its operations, is among the 12 distilleries taking part in the TourismNI/FoodNI October Embrace a Great Taste campaign to showcase the quality and innovation of local spirits. Wild Atlantic, also part of TourismNI’s Northern Ireland Spirits Trail, will be hosting tasting events this month, alongside its success gin school.