Marketing

Garavan’s: Whiskey Bar of Year

Dublin-based Teeling Distillery has won ‘Irish Whiskey of the Year’ for its Teeling The Revival Single Malt Volume IV at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2017.

The distillery also received a Gold Medal for its Teeling Brabazon Bottling Series 2 in the Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger) category.

The Awards were held in the Jameson Distillery Bow Street last night and Awards promoter the Celtic Whiskey Shop’s Ally Alpine explained that the awards had involved 67 blind-tastings by tasters from all over the world, “24 of whom are at the awards tonight”.

After four consecutive years of being named Connaught Whiskey Bar of the Year, Garavan’s in Galway finally won the overall ‘Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year’ award.

The evening – with all advance tickets purchased purely by members of the trade – was addressed by Bernard Walsh, Founder and Chief Executive of the Walsh Distillery in Royal Oak, County Carlow, who talked of a “second Golden Age for Irish Whiskey”.

But the former Chairman of the Irish Whiskey Association also pointed to the pitfalls: “Irish whiskey is one of the most regulated products in Ireland and one of the most regulated whiskeys in the world,” he warned, giving no uncertain nod in the direction of the forthcoming Public Health (Alcohol) Bill’s proposed restrictions on alcohol marketing.

Nevertheless, he found the cross-industry support to be found in spirits distilling to be simply unique, “… unheard of elsewhere”.

The awards, now in their fifth year, have become an important date in the whiskey industry’s calendar, commented Ally Alpine.

“Unlike most international awards this is a non-profit-making operation that relies on the support & generosity of the producers, my staff and whiskey enthusiasts,” he stated, “The event will also raise enough money to feed 330 kids every day for a year which is an added bonus.”

The event’s charity partner is Mary’s Meals which feeds over 1.2 million children a day and recently fed its one billionth child. The cost of one ticket, at €46.80, will feed three children for a year and the proceeds raised from last night’s event will feed 330 children for a full year whilst they’re attending school, he explained.

Drinks Industry Ireland was the event’s media partner.

 

The Irish Whiskey Award 2017 winners:

 

Overall Awards

Irish Whiskey of the Year: Teeling The Revival Single Malt Volume IV

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Overall Winner): Garavan’s, Galway

 

Categories

Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey: Powers John’s Lane

Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger): Tyrconnell Madeira Finish 10 Year-Old

Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older): Teeling The Revival Single Malt Volume IV

Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60): Jameson Black Barrel

Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more): Jameson Makers Series – The Cooper’s Croze

Irish Single Cask Whiskey: Cill Airne Cask PX Finish

Irish Cask Strength Whiskey: Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix

Irish Single Grain Whiskey: Glendalough Triple Barrel

Irish Vodka: Dingle Vodka

Irish Gin: Dingle Gin

Irish Poitin: Bán Poitin

Irish Liqueur: Merry’s Salted Caramel

Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Irish Craft Beer: Dot Brew Cab Sauv (Session)

 

Gold Medal Winners 2017

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Munster):

  • Gold Medal:       Dick Mack’s, Dingle

 

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Leinster):

  • Gold Medal:       Bowe’s, Dublin

 

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Connaught):

  • Gold Medal:     Sonny Molloys, Galway

 

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (Ulster):

  • Gold Medal:      McCauls, Cavan

 

Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International):

  • Winner:              Seamus O’Dowden’s Irish Pub & Shebeen (Vermont USA)
  • Gold Medal:      The Dead Rabbit, New York

 

Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey:

  • Gold Medal:     Midelton Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest
  • Gold Medal:     Powers 1817 Release

 

Irish Single Malt Whiskey (12 Years & Younger):

  • Gold Medal:     Teeling Brabazon Bottling Series 2
  • Gold Medal:     The Whistler Single Malt Aged 7 Years

 

Single Malt Whiskey (13 Years & Older):

  • Gold Medal:     The Irishman 17 Year-Old
  • Gold Medal:     Tyrconnell 16 Year-Old

 

Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of less than €60):

  • Gold Medal:     The Irishman Founder’s Reserve
  • Gold Medal:     Slane Irish Whiskey

 

Irish Blended Whiskey (RRP of €60 or more):

  • Gold Medal:     Jameson Makers Series – The Blender’s Dog
  • Gold Medal:     JJ Corry ‘The Gael’

 

Irish Single Cask Whiskey:

  • Gold Medal:       The Irishman Founder’s Reserve Marsala Finish
  • Gold Medal:       Cill Airne Cask Oloroso Finish

 

Irish Cask Strength Whiskey:

  • Gold Medal:     The Whistler Single Malt 7 Year Old Cask Strength
  • Gold Medal:     Writer’s Tears Cask Strength 2017

 

Irish Single Grain Whiskey:

  • Gold Medal:     Method and Madness Single Grain
  • Gold Medal:     Glendalough Double Barrel

 

Irish Vodka:

  • Gold Medal:     Straw Boys Vodka
  • Gold Medal:     Woulfe’s Irish Vodka

 

Irish Poitin:

  • Gold Medal:     Straw Boys Poitín
  • Gold Medal:     Mad March Hare Poitín

 

Irish Liqueur:

  • Gold Medal:     Merry’s Toffee Buttermint
  • Gold Medal:     Merry’s Pumpkin Spice

 

Irish Gin:

  • Gold Medal:     Brennan’s Old House Irish Gin
  • Gold Medal:     Thin Gin

 

Irish Whiskey Barrel-Aged Irish Craft Beer:

  • Gold Medal:     Boyne Brewhouse Imperial Stout 10.8%
  • Gold Medal:     Dot Brew Cab Sauv Grain Rye (Session)

 


Sign Up for Drinks Industry Ireland

Get a free weekly update on Drinks Industry trade news, direct to your inbox. Sign up now, it's free