bushmills – Licensed & Catering News (LCN) – News Coverage from the Local Trade

Helen Mulholland joins Last Drop Distillers’ Assembly

Joe Kearney — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:51:45 +0000

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.”

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Bushmills profits soar as production is ramped up

Joe Kearney — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:21:11 +0000

The Old Bushmills Distillery saw profits soar by 30% last year as its turnover rose by £13 million to a record £56.2m for the 12 months ending December 31 2022.

That was £12.5m more than Bushmills’ last full year of trading before the pandemic.

It took The Old Bushmills Distillery Company’s profit before tax for 2022 to £10.34m, 30% higher than its 2021 performance.

Bushmills has been owned by Jose Cuervo since 2014, when the world’s biggest tequila producer bought the operation from Guinness-maker Diageo.

Jose Cuervo is controlled by the Mexico-based Beckmann family, which distributes its spirits globally via its Proximo arm.

The reporting period covered by the accounts include the final construction phase of Bushmills’ new £37m Causeway Distillery, which was officially unveiled in April 2023.

It took the total amount invested by Proximo in the Co Antrim distillery to £60m over the past five years.

The company’s directors said Bushmills had retained its position as one of the leaders in the Irish whiskey category during 2022, demonstrating “a good level of performance in its major markets despite the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The spirits company said its plans to continue its expansion into new markets and grow its brands.

The distillery also increased its staff last year to 124 people, 22 more than in 2021. Most of the new staff were on the production side.

It took staff costs to £7.1m for the year, around £1m more than in 2021.

Total shareholder funds for the company grew to £296m in 2022.

The Bushmills’ portfolio includes: Bushmills Original, Black Bush, Red Bush, Bushmills’ 10, 12, 16 and 21-year old single malts, as well as more exclusive releases as part of the Causeway Collection.

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New Bushmills distillery to double capacity as US sales soar

Joe Kearney — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:47:17 +0000

Bushmills’ new £37m distillery will allow the business to double its distilling capacity to an annual nine million litres of spirit.

The move will see the company capitalise on growing demand in export markets for Irish whiskey, with sales of the spirit predicted to outstrip sales of Scotch in the US in the years ahead.

The new Causeway Distillery is located alongside The Old Bushmills Distillery, which lays claim to a 415-year heritage in the north coast village.

A record 168m bottles of Irish whiskey were exported in 2021, up 21% year on year, according to figures from the Irish Whiskey Association.

Around 41% of the total volume was destined for the US.

The Old Bushmills Distillery Company posted a 36% hike in turnover to £43m for the year, likely boosted by suspension of a 25% US tariff on single malt Irish whiskey from Northern Ireland in June 2021 although 2020 sales were dented by the pandemic.

Pre-tax profits rose by 10% to £7.97m in 2021.

Bushmills is owned by Proximo Spirits, a US firm founded by the Beckmann family of Mexico, which acquired the brand and its assets from Diageo in 2014.

The new distillery is part of a £60m investment by Proximo in its Irish single malt distilling and aging facility over the past five years.

The 10 copper pot stills at the new distillery have been designed to match those at the Old Bushmills Distillery, to achieve a consistent quality and flavour across single malt whiskeys produced in both distilleries.

Planning permission was granted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in 2019 for the new distillery including the 10 stills, eight new washbacks and a mashtun.

Bushmills had already added 29 additional maturation warehouses to its site.

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Bushmills 33-year-old Port Cask a very rare treat

Joe Kearney — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:12:02 +0000

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has unveiled the tenth and final release from its current Causeway Collection – a rare 33-year-old Port Cask to be sold exclusively in World Duty-Free’s stores at Heathrow Airport.

This is the oldest expression ever released from The Old Bushmills Distillery and only 690 bottles of the cask finished, cask strength (53.3% ABV), non chill-filtered Irish single malt will be available.

From the 1st of March 2023, the highly anticipated expression from Bushmills Master Blender Alex Thomas, above, will be available to purchase in World Duty Free stores across all terminals at Heathrow Airport for RSP £1,245. It will also be available in World Duty Free’s specialist World of Whiskies stores at Heathrow.

Filled on the 19th April 1989, this rare bottling has spent an incredible 33 years patiently maturing in fortified wine casks from northern Portugal. Alex Thomas, Bushmills Master Blender, has expertly watched over this malt as it’s been imbued with luscious dark fruit flavours, like blackcurrants and blackberries. It’s a sensational whiskey that stands with the best of Irish single malt, a giant in its own right.

The ground-breaking Causeway Collection is a unique selection of cask-finished and fully matured Irish single malt whiskeys. The current collection, the first from Master Blender Alex Thomas, features 10 stunning expressions across seven global markets, namely Travel Retail, Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Poland.

Alex Thomas, Bushmills Master Blender, said: “It is truly a privilege to work with such rare whiskeys in The Causeway Collection. They are the fruits of over 400 years of Bushmills whiskey-making tradition, each expertly created and nurtured over decades.

“The Causeway Collection is a celebration of our passion for single malts, and these special whiskeys are our greatest treasures. At Bushmills, we continue to innovate and create new expressions to excite the whiskey community. We are proud to build on the growing legacy of The Causeway Collection and excited to share our 33 Year Old Port Cask with whiskey fans travelling through Heathrow from all corners of the globe.”

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Rasharkin woman named Irish Whiskey Association vice chair

Joe Kearney — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:05:30 +0000

Helen Mulholland, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable personalities in international distilling, has been chosen as vice chair of the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) in Dublin.

The Rasharkin woman, described the election to the representative body for the industry across the island as “a great honour and tremendous privilege”.

The appointment acknowledges Helen’s immense contribution to the growth of Bushmills over almost 30 years that included a lengthy period as master distiller at the historic distillery that’s now respected as one of the very best and most successful whiskey producers.

Earlier in the year, Helen was also recognised in Northern Ireland by the industry here for “an outstanding contribution” to whiskey distilling.

In 2018 she became the first woman to be inducted into the International Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame and the first woman to receive a Chairman’s Award for her remarkable contribution to the development of Irish whiskey.

At Bushmills, Helen worked with master distiller and site director Colum Egan, who was also honoured by IWA for his outstanding contribution to the whiskey industry.

The dedicated and knowledgeable businesswoman created a host of successful whiskeys in the distillery’s world leading luxury portfolio of single malts and premium blends during her time at Bushmills.

She is now leading the team at the developing Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo where new owner Sazerac, the global producer of a range of spirits, aims to create luxury single malt whiskeys. The corporation’s investment at Lough Gill is a further measure of the continuing interest in Irish whiskey in the United States, the biggest global market for the spirits.

Helen, in her new role, has responsibility for selection and management of the casks for Athrú single malt whiskey, nurturing the portfolio of premium aged single malts, as well as new product development there. She was head hunted by Sazerac and Lough Gill to bring her immense expertise to the exciting venture.

Sazerac, based in New Orleans, is making Lough Gill the home of Paddy and Michael Collins, existing Irish whiskeys it already owns, as well as the new Athrú whiskey.

Helen said: “It’s a really exciting time for Lough Gill Distillery. I am very honoured to be joining the team as it becomes the home of Paddy, Michael Collins and Athrú whiskeys.

“The distillery, its location and the incredible team already in place made this a very easy decision. I look forward to bringing my knowledge as a master blender to the table to enable us to make some really world-class Irish whiskeys.”

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