Six Northern Ireland distilleries in all-Ireland boost for Irish whiskey sales
Six Northern Ireland whiskey distilleries are featured in a unique initiative by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) in Dublin to encourage tourism, whiskey and local food.
Included in the all-Ireland Irish Whiskey Way are local distilleries: Bushmills in Co Antrim; Echlinville at Kircubbin; Hinch outside Ballynahinch; McConnell’s Belfast; Rademon Estate, Crossgar; and Titanic, Belfast.
The Irish Whiskey Way is seen as a landmark tourism initiative that weaves Ireland’s distilling traditions, landscapes and community stories into a single, immersive whiskey trail. It aims to build on the success of whiskey tourism which attracted around one million visitors to distilleries in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland last year. Historic Bushmills, the world’s oldest whiskey distillery, was Northern Ireland’s most popular visitor attraction then.
The initiative also boosts local food by recommending pairings with the various whiskeys
All six Northern Ireland distilleries offer very sophisticated visitor centres aimed at visitors especially from overseas.
Launched by Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, the Irish Whiskey Way showcases Ireland’s leading Irish Whiskey distillery experiences and visitor centres and allows any tourist coming to Ireland to build their own food and drink trail across the island.
It includes an interactive website that allows users to build their own Irish food and drink trails. The platform features the country’s leading whiskey distilleries and visitor experiences, all showcased alongside their distilling traditions, landscapes and community stories.
Additionally, the website includes recommended food pairings from celebrated Irish chefs, as well as cocktail recipes.
Director of the IWA Eoin Ó Catháin called the initiative “a celebration of our island’s rich distilling heritage, but also an initiative developed by our whiskey distilleries working together to present a unique food and drink trail to the international and domestic visitor”.
He added: “The importance of cooperation has never been greater, this year more than ever, and the value of every euro spent in Ireland has never been more appreciated.”