The Irish gin boom continues

Although a relatively new phenomenon, Irish craft gins continues to prove worldbeaters. The family-run Ballykeefe Distillery in Co Kilkenny has launched Lady Desart Gin nationally, fresh from winning gold at the prestigious 2019 USA Spirits Ratings Awards.

Lady Desart is a London dry gin with an oriental twist, named to honour a remarkable woman on whose former estate Ballykeefe distillery is located.

The gin is crafted from 12 botanicals, that combine to enhance and enrich the juniper flavour with a subtle lemon freshness, but it’s the inclusion of three oriental peppers that make this a unique gin. Wild forest and long red peppers are handpicked in Vietnam, while the other is the famous Cambodian mondulkiri red pepper.

The owner of Ballykeefe Distillery, Morgan Ging, , said: “We have huge confidence in the flavour of this gin and recommend that it is best served on its own, with just a good quality tonic and some ice – no need for a garnish as it stands complete on its own.”

The Lady Desart name honours Ellen Cuffe, who became known as Lady Desart, a politician and philanthropist in the early 20th Century. Lady Desart inherited a fortune on the death of her father in 1908 and she proceeded to invest and donate to many local and international projects. She was responsible for many of the landmarks commonly associated with Kilkenny including Kilkenny Library, Aut Even Hospital and Talbots Inch

Suspension Bridge.