Outwalker picks up the pace in global sales as Irish whiskey gala nears
Three local companies have revealed spirited sales ahead of the start of the sixth Belfast Whiskey Week, Ireland’s largest whiskey celebration, which starts on Friday, July 19 and runs to Saturday 27.
The colourful festival of Ireland’s golden spirit features 100 events, spanning nine days in partnership with a wide range of venues city wide and delivering sessions with over 40 brands and distilleries.
The good news for the local whiskey industry coms from Outwalker, Two Stacks and Killowen, three of the smaller specialists in a wide range of whiskeys including single malts and pot stills.
Outwalker has said it has strengthened its market position in Scandinavia and already sells across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
It expects to be on the shelves in Poland, Ukraine, Italy and five US states by next March.
Launched last year, the Outwalker ‘The Restless Spirit’ brand gained significant endorsement recently by scooped double gold awards at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition (WSC) 2024, notching up an impressive total score of 95/100.
The World Spirits Competition, which is the largest competition of its type in the world, attracts entries from major international brands to bottlings by niche craft producers.
What’s more, tastings by the judges are carried out blind – which makes the results both impartial and very credible.
Outwalker is the brainchild of four passionate Irish whiskey lovers: local hotelier and entrepreneur Adrian McLaughlin, business consultant, broadcaster and ex-Ireland rugby international Darren Cave, Sean Muldoon, the creative driving force behind New York’s famous Dead Rabbit, which was twice named World’s Best Bar and Jillian Vose, recognised as one of the world’s best cocktail authorities.
Sean and Jillian are currently working on opening their own eagerly awaited new bar, Hazel & Apple in Charleston, South Carolina.
Jillian Vose who created Outwalker, a blend of fine single malt, grain and pot still Irish whiskeys uniquely matured four ways – in ex-Oloroso sherry, burgundy, rye and virgin American oak casks.
Commenting on the World Spirits Competition success, Adrian says: “A result of this kind is rare for a new whiskey brand like ours, so this is a testament to the extraordinary skill and expertise Jillian brought to the task.
"And as if further proof were needed, we’ve now got the medals to show for it.”
Two Stacks, a unique blending and bonding operation in Newry, Co Down, has just linked up with Avolta Duty Free stores to supply two single malts to airports across the UK.
Two Stacks’ ‘The Blenders Cut – Cask Strength’ and Double-Distilled Peated Malt are now being showcased in World Duty Free stores located in 26 UK airports.
The unique partnership marks another step in the Co Down whiskey maker’s expansion in travel retail, offering unique and complex cask-strength whiskeys and carefully crafted peated malts to UK travellers.
Two Stacks Irish Whiskey chief executive Shane McCarthy says: “This is a big moment, not just for Two Stacks but for the entire Irish whiskey category within the World Duty Free space.
"We are excited to offer travellers complex cask-strength whiskeys and exquisite Double Distilled Peated Malts.”
Aisha Dad, Avolta’s category manager for liquor in the UK, adds: “We are delighted to partner with Two Stacks to showcase their two key expressions to travellers visiting our World Duty Free stores across the UK.
“The many airport tastings we have planned will give customers the opportunity to discover and appreciate both the Blender’s Cut Cask Strength, and the Double Barrel Single Malt.”
Roster-based Killeen is enjoying double success with a unique collaboration with The Wine Centre in Kilkenny, an award-winning specialist in off-sales.
Killeen, now one of Ireland’s most innovative producers of premium spirits especially single malt and pot still whiskeys, has developed a limited edition whiskey, Baronial rye Irish whiskey that’s made from a unique blend of locally sourced malted rye and malted pleated barley and aged for more than three years in a French Limousine Oak Cabernet Sauvignon cask.
Brendan Carty, Killeen founder and master distiller, explains: “We are delighted to have worked with the team at The Wine Centre in Kilkenny on this latest Baronial release.
"This one is a well-balanced, vibrant whiskey that offers fruits, mints and spices within an oily background - it’s a real treat that any whiskey lover would be proud to have on their shelf.”
In another innovative marketing initiative, Brendan has just revealed a single cask collaboration with Jenna Elie, the celebrated Whiskey a Go-Go Girl from Atlanta, Georgia, that should increase market awareness and sales in the US.
Jenna is a widely American blogger on whiskey.