Ciaran’s spirited showing in global awards is huge boost

The founder and managing director of Niche Drinks, an award-winning producer of premium Irish malt whiskey and cream liqueurs which are both now major exports from the city, gained three medals in an international awards.

Belfast born Ciaran, the founder of Saint Brendan’s Irish Natural Cream Liqueur in 1983 and The Quiet Man, a premium Irish Whiskey in 2015, is helping to revive Londonderry’s historic whiskey distilling tradition that stretches back more than 100 years.

The city was once home to one of Ireland’s biggest whiskey distilleries at the start of the 20 th century.

He established the cream liqueur enterprise on the back of his upbringing in the licensed trade in Belfast. John, his father was among the most respected barmen in the city. Ciaran subsequently developed a successful career in drink sales with the likes of Guinness and the old Bass Ireland operation before deciding to start his own Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Liqueur, creating the best known cream liqueur and a major global exporter after Bailey’s, still the market leader in cream liqueurs which also has a highly successful processing export operation at Newtownabbey.

Ciaran was “thrilled” to collect gold, silver and two bronze medals in the annual International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), the results of which were announced on August 7 in London. “We are delighted to have won such an important endorsement, especially the gold medal, from an expert panel drawn from across the industry. It will help enormously as we continue to build sales in international markets especially in these very challenging times,” he says.

The gold medal was for a salted caramel Irish cream liqueur he produces exclusively for Tesco Finest range. A cream liqueur produced for Tesco also gained a silver. In addition, there was a bronze for another Irish cream liqueur. The awards also demonstrated his success in creating liqueurs for leading retailers. He also produces a unique Irish Coffee that’s made quickly in a microwave.

The Quiet Man Irish whiskey, which is produced with Luxco, a major American distiller and distributor which now owns the Londonderry business, gained a bronze medal in the prestigious awards. The whiskey, which is also named in honour of his father, is used in blending cream liqueurs. Niche had planned to build a distillery in Londonderry for the triple-distilled whiskey.

“Since 1983 we have been producing cream liqueurs, Irish coffee, and ready-to-drink cocktails of the highest quality for retail partners in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. Additionally, we work with multinational drinks companies keen on us using our expertise to create brands for them to market and sell from Boston to Bangkok.

“We have also created an outstanding technical system that offers full product traceability, from a single defined cream source through to finished product either bottled or in bulk,” he adds.

Ciaran most recently launched a YellaMan vodka-based liqueur with honeycomb which reflects his childhood holidays in Ballycastle and the town’s colourful Auld Lammas Fair every August.

“I always loved the Auld Lammas and in particular Yellowman, the hard-boiled honeycomb sweet that you find all around the North Coast” he adds. “Yellowman

always struck me as a great flavour. I’ve always just enjoyed it.

“Over the years I always thought it would be a great flavour to put into a liqueur, and that’s where the idea behind YellaMan came from. It’s a fantastic honeycomb and burnt caramel flavour which really comes through on the nose and on the palate.”

The success of Niche Drinks, in addition, has inspired other craft distillers including Walled City Brewery in Ebrington which recently launched a gin in honour of aviator Amelia Earhart.

Niche Drinks was among six Northern Ireland distilleries winning a record 16 major awards from IWSC last week.

Other gold winners are Copeland in Donaghadee for its recently launched1778 Cask Finished Navy Strength Gin; and Mourne Dew in Warrenpoint for its Rostrevor Ruby Gin.

All the awards were for smaller producers of Irish gin and Irish whiskey. They demonstrate the growing strength of the Northern Ireland spirits industry and its growing achievements in the international marketplace. The companies are increasingly winning business in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US.

The Northern Ireland winners were:

Boatyard Distillery, Enniskillen

Winter Solstice Gin – Bronze

Boatyard Double Gin - Silver

Copeland Distillery, Donaghadee

1778 Cask Finished Navy Strength Gin - Gold

Copeland Gin - Bronze

Hinch Distillery, Ballynahinch

5-Year Old Double Wood Irish Single Malt Whiskey – Bronze

Peated Irish Single Malt Irish Whiskey – Silver

Ninth Wave Irish Gin – Silver

Mourne Dew Distillery, Warrenpoint

Rostrevor Ruby Irish Gin - Gold

Kilbroney Premium Irish Gin - Bronze

Niche Drinks, Derry

Irish Cream Liqueur – Bronze

Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cream Liqueur – Gold

Tesco Irish Cream Liqueur - Silver

Luxco Tesco The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey 12 Year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey -

Bronze

Rademon Distillery, Crossgar – Shortcross Gin - Silver

Rosie’s Garden Gin - Bronze

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