Here’s a thought.
While many brands are still racing to the top of the whiskey market, chasing age statements, prestige packaging, and increasingly niche releases, I think maybe the real opportunity right now sits at the bottom.
Not the bargain bin.
Not the supermarket blend with a made-up backstory.
But something honest. Scalable. And actually good.
A grassroots, low-price-point whiskey with a simple label, a clear voice, and no need to perform. One that doesn’t rely on heritage myths or collector hype, but just delivers solid flavour, cocktail versatility, and a reason to pick it up again.
Why now?
— Blended whiskey sales are rising (affordability without sacrificing character).
— Premium fatigue is real, overpopulated and underdifferentiated
— Tariff-proofing matters. The potential 30% US tariff could hit the high-end hardest
— Gen Z is coming of age, they want relevance, not reverence
We talk a lot about innovation in the whiskey world, but too often, that just means another limited edition. What if innovation meant accessibility? What if it meant building something that can actually weather the next five years?
I’ve worked in this space for a while. And I think it’s time for a new kind of brand to emerge in Ireland.
Not a throwback. Not a luxury.
Something in-between. Something real.