Helen Mulholland joins Last Drop Distillers’ Assembly
Respected Irish whiskey master blender Helen Mulholland has won major recognition in Britain for her outstanding achievements that included more than three decades in senior roles at Old Bushmills.
Now master lender at Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo, which is part of Sazerac, the US bourbon business that owns Paddy Irish Whiskey, Portstewart woman Helen has been appointed to The Last Drop Distillers’ Assembly in London, as its newest member of the elite whiskey body.
The appointment is a recognition of the remarkable progress of the whiskey industry in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and of Helen’s remarkable contribution. Helen is the first to be appointed from Ireland.
The London distillery’s assembly is based on a group of distilling industry experts and has been described as “a forum which promotes and encourages the exchange of knowledge and experience from many industries, bringing in fresh ideas and inspiration”.
Helen was also inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2019 and previously collaborated with the Last Drop on the distillery’s first Irish whiskey release, a 32-year-old single malt by Louise McGuane of JJ Corry distillery in Co Clare.
Commenting on her appointment, she said: “Joining the Last Drop Distillers’ Assembly is a great honour. I feel a great affinity with the work of the company and their quest for ‘the remarkable’ and look forward to collaborating closely with the Last Drop team and colleagues in the Assembly.
“Working in Irish whiskey is an incredible privilege, and being able to interact with the special casks that the Last Drop has put together will be very special. There is a feeling and connection inherent in whiskey, like spending time with a family member or entering an old house, and I look forward to sharing my love and enjoyment of the spirit with the Assembly.”
Helen’s expertise and remarkable track record at Bushmills led to her being justifiably named by the influential Whisky Magazine as the first woman in its Hall of Fame, in 2018. Her expertise in casks, different woods and innovative malts and blends is unrivalled.
“I am passionate about different types of wood and was attracted to acacia, a hard wood which provides a whole different flavour of whiskey. It’s also a good example of my focus on continuously exploring the nuances that different casks impart on our whiskey.”
