Page 62 - TFWA World Exhibit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

The Shed Distillery is located in Drumshanbo, Irleland, which gives Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin its name.

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin takes “Curious Journey”
to success

When long-time spirits executive 80 countries. In travel retail, it is listed Europe, Australia, New Zealand. We’ve
Pat Rigney opened the Shed Distillery in with operators like Aer Rianta, DFS in just launched in the Philippines, which is
Drumshanbo, Ireland in December 2014, the Americas, Dubai Duty Free, Lotte a big gin market in a very significant way.
his goal was to create one of the best gins Singapore, Heinemann, Dufry, Lagardere We’re in South Africa, Nigeria.
in the world. Now, nearly a decade later, and Tallink amongst others. “The target markets that we are
with growing sales near and far from The brand has also had particular looking at are in Latin America. Brazil
its rural Ireland base and awards and success in the United States, Gunpowder’s would be very interesting to us. We want
accolades draped over the familiar blue biggest and most important market. to start developing Mexico; we’ve just
bottle, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin “We are thrilled to have had great started there. So basically the whole planet
is fulfilling Rigney’s dream. success around the world, particularly eventually and that’s what we plan to get
“We established the business in with our U.S. domestic partners Palm to.”
2014 with a vision to create Drumshanbo Bay International and Marc Taub. His Before opening The Shed Distillery,
Gunpowder Irish Gin to compete with the team have done a really wonderful job Rigney already had a long history in
best gins in the world,” Rigney, Managing bringing us to a position of being in the the spirits industry. In the 1990s he was
Director and Founder of The Shed top six premium gins in the United States Executive Director of Baileys inventing the
Distillery, tells TMI. “In addition to that, according to Impact Databank for 2022, twin-bottle Sheridan’s Cream Liqueur. He
we wanted to create a whiskey distillery with a view of consolidating and improving then created the Boru Irish vodka brand.
that would compete at the highest end, on that position in 2023 and beyond,” says His work with these brands led him on the
which for Irish whiskey is a single pot still, Rigney. “curious journey” to the botanicals that
which we’ve also done, and a vodka brand, Outside the United States, Rigney tells would one day make up Gunpowder gin.
Sausage Tree, that would also compete TMI the other big markets for Gunpowder Gunpowder gin fuses oriental
with the best. But the primary focus is are Canada, continental Europe, and botanicals with local Irish ones. The gin
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin.” Ireland. takes its name from Gunpowder tea, which
Gunpowder is available in more than “We’re doing particularly well in Rigney saw on one of his trips to Asia.

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