Co Down​ Chocolate maker NearyNógs and whiskey producers in tasty collaborations

The family enterprise, which is owned and run by husband and wife team Shane and Dorothy Neary, has become a first call for leading distilleries such as Old Bushmills in Co. Antrim, Co Down’s Hinch, near Ballynahinch, and Killowen in Rostrevor, and independent whiskey blender Two Stacks in Newry.

The artisan chocolate maker, which also counts iconic London store Fortnum & Mason among its high-profile customers, has created gourmet chocolates for the whiskey producers including handcrafted truffles and a luxury bar from the finest ingredients.

The company produced an ‘Old Fashioned’ bar for Bushmills of 70 percent chocolate that was crafted from beans sourced from a single estate in Ecuador, Shane explains.

“We loved collaborating with the whiskey producers on separate and highly creative projects,” he adds.

The project for Bushmills was a revival of a traditional chocolate bar with other premium ingredients such as Orange Bitters, a blend of tropical oranges and spices, brown sugar and rich cacao beans from Ecuador’s Limon region.

Chocolate truffles for the other projects also featured unique recipes using the beans from Ecuador. Irish double cream liqueur from Two Stacks was used in truffles.

“The projects gave us an opportunity to work with the producers on handcrafting original and luxury taste experiences for their customers,” continues Shane.

The chocolate maker has also collaborated with Whitewater Brewery in Castlewellan on chocolates featuring its award-winning Belfast Black Stout for a deeper and fuller taste.

NearyNógs operates from a fully-equipped workshop in the Mournes that also features a visitor centre.

It has a strong relationship with the nearby Killowen Distillery, a craft producer of whiskey, gin, rum and poitin, on truffles and events throughout the year such as whiskey and chocolate workshops.