Deirdre Byrne

Nestled in the north west corner of Ireland, Donegal is a place apart, famed for its stunning landscape, resilient people and rich distilling heritage. Donegal’s first legal distillery in over 175 years, Sliabh Liag Distillers (pronounced “sleeve leeg”) produce premium spirits and aim to reclaim that rich distilling heritage. Their award-winning brands are heavily inspired by the beauty, folklore, and history of south west Donegal. Described as “A Love Letter to the Donegal Coast” An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin is distilled in tiny batches in a 500-litre copper pot still and has at its heart five local hand-harvested seaweeds. The gin is bright and savoury, with an umami complexity. Ideal for mixing or as a pairing to seafood dishes, An Dúlamán captures the Magic of the Sea and is an homage to the wild but beautiful Donegal Coast. An Dúlamán’s latest accolade is a gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2021. The Legendary Silkie Whiskeys aim to take whiskey fans on a journey to rediscover the smoky whiskeys made in Donegal in years gone by. With just 4% peated malt in the blend, Silkie is super-soft with notes of green apple and pear, buttered biscuit and gingerbread. Dark Silkie is a rich smoky blend, containing 15% peated single malt – heralded as one of the most exciting Irish Whiskey releases of 2020. Silkie was named Best Irish Blended Whiskey at the 2021 World Whiskeys Awards, while Dark Silkie won a double gold and was named Best Blended Irish Whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards 2021. Sliabh Liag Distillers export to over 34 markets and employ 16 people. They have recently begun distilling smoky Irish whiskeys at their new €7m Ardara Distillery.