The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy
Last week Drinks Ireland attended an event to mark the renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy on the Island of Ireland at the Jameson Distillery, Bow St, Dublin 2.
Jennifer Wallace of Drinks Ireland said, “It was a wonderful evening for attendees from the food, drink and hospitality industry to learn about the origins and distillation process of Apple Brandy and hear from each of the producers involved; followed by a guided sampling of this delicious fruit spirit.
Apple Brandy has a long history on the Island of Ireland dating back to the 17th century and continues up to the present day. This quality Irish product represents an authentic and innovative part of the drinks industry.”
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Press release
‘The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy – A landmark Event Heralds a New Era in Irish Craft Spirits’
Dublin - 29 April 2025
A new chapter in Ireland’s rich drinks heritage was officially opened in Dublin last week at The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy, a landmark event celebrating the birth of a new drinks category: Irish Apple Brandy.
Proud Irish Apple Brandy Producers - The Apple Farm, Tipperary; Boann Distillery, Co. Meath; Longueville House Distillery, Co. Cork; Orr Irish Apple Brandy, Co. Cork; and Tipperary Boutique Distillery, Tipperary together hosted the first official launch of Irish Apple Brandy and united in their mission to elevate Irish-grown apples into world-class apple brandy expressions.
Distinguished members of the Irish food, drink and hospitality sector were treated to a guided sampling of the four producers’ brandies under the expert guidance of renowned Irish Food & Drinks Journalist and Founder of the Irish Food Writing Awards Suzanne Campbell who mc’d the event.
Attendees were treated to a personal account of the origins and distillation process by the Producers behind each Apple Brandy beginning with Cornelius Traas of the Apple Farm and Jennifer Nickerson for their collaboration on ‘The 80’ Irish Apple Brandy, which recently won the Silver Medal at the prestigious Berlin International Spirits Competition 2025.
This was followed by William O’Callaghan from Longueville House who spoke about the legacy of Longueville House Irish Apple Brandy, which is made entirely on their own estate from their own cider with their apples grown in their orchard in the Blackwater Valley Co. Cork.
Peter Cooney from Boann Distillery was up next with an exclusive sampling of Boann’s new make Irish apple brandy spirit and a further tasting of their established 1848 Apple Brandy which combines the best of France’s Calvados with Boann’s own triple-distilled Irish apple brandy.
The event was rounded off with an introduction to the newly released Orr Irish Apple Brandy by Diarmuid Madden. Orr Irish Apple Brandy is the most recent innovation from the team behind the highly acclaimed and multi award winning Cork based Stonewell Cider and Nohoval Apple Wines.
The event finished with a lively Q&A session where the valuable contribution of Irish Apple Growers was highlighted by all Producers as an important and critical aspect of the Irish drinks industry at a time when sustainability and traceability is key. This historic gathering marked a pivotal moment for Irish Spirits – a renaissance not only in name, but in the dedication to innovation and authenticity that defines Irish Apple Brandy.
