#SláinteToThat is a campaign that aims to celebrate the drinks industry in Ireland.  As part of this campaign we brought Doireann Garrihy to a number of locations around Ireland and went behind the scenes of Ireland's vibrant drinks industry.  Visiting these sites allowed us to educate Doireann on the heritage of drinks manufacture in Ireland and introduce her to some of the more innovative and unusual techniques being used by Ireland's drinks entrepreneurs.

Discover / Sliabh Liag Distillers

Doireann visits husband and wife distillers James and Moira Doherty in Carrick, South Donegal.  The stunning landscape of Donegal is the backdrop to some innovative distilling practices and James guides Doireann through the process they use to make their An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin.  This education included a trip to the seashore to gather some of the five seaweeds that give their gin such a unique flavour!   

This piece first featured in the Irish Independent on 16 December 2019, click here to read.

Discover / Kilbeggan Distillery

The Kilbeggan Distillery in Co Westmeath brings to mind the old riddle – what came first, the chicken or the egg?  Did the village make the distillery or did the distillery make the village? In this video, Doireann visits this historic site located in the heart of the town, an important feature of the Kilbeggan main street since 1757.  During her time in Kilbeggan Doireann received a crash course on the unique production techniques used to make Irish whiskey, a protected category.

This piece first featured in the Irish Independent on 20 January 2020, click here to read.

Discover / Heineken Brewery

Doireann is guided through the state of the art brewery in the Heart of Cork City by Master Brewer, PJ Tierney. As well as learning about the history of the site, dating back to the 1800’s, Doireann was guided through the brewing process for this global brand. A key feature of the brewery is a focus on sustainability, as well as supplying spent grains and surplus yeast from fermentation for animal feed, the brewery gets 100% of its electricity from windfarms.

This piece first featured in the Irish Independent on 6 January 2020, click here to read.