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Blackwater Distillery is an award-winning, boutique operation situation along River Blackwater in Southern Ireland. A labor of love where no detail has gone unnoticed, Blackwater Distillery churns-out some of the most incredible gin and vodka available in Europe today. We hosted an intimate and luxurious event recently at Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland and looked to them to provide a taste of Ireland, the best gin and vodka the country has to offer.
Conveniently located near Lismore Castle, the distillery made perfect sense. Not only is it geographically close to Lismore, but the reputation made it hard to overlook. Founded by Peter Mulryan and Kieran Curtin, Blackwater Distillery prides themselves on being a handcrafted operation. In fact, the only automated machine in their distillery is the coffee grinder. Each bottle is poured by hand and Irish spirits and botanicals are used in the gin’s creation.
The two men used the history of the area where the distillery is located, interestingly where the majority of exotic spices and ingredients used in gin changed hands and sent around the globe a few centuries ago. The area is strongly tied to gin making and the dissemination of exotic spiced in general, including the use of River Blackwater as a highway for shipping. This is why a map of the river and area can be seen on every bottle.
Blackwater Distillery played around with various ingredients they found in gin-making archives from the area and that experimentation helped shape the products they offer today. The lineup includes small-batch Blackwater No5 Irish gin, Juniper Cask gin and Wexford Strawberry Irish gin (which boasts 13 botanicals, including strawberries – with no added sugar or sweetness). Each one of these gins is unique and perfect, in every way. The distillery also offers Boyle’s gin – named after Boyle’s Law creator Robert Boyle, who was born in Lismore Castle. We absolutely love their Barry’s Tea Gin – which combines fine Irish gin with a bit of freshly brewed Irish tea.
Blackwater Distillery offers a premium vodka, some of the best we’ve ever tasted, but it’s currently only available in Finland (worth the trip). But, for now, those without plans of traveling to Helsinki can enjoy their fabulous gin offerings. We promise after tasting what they have to offer, you won’t want anything else.
