20 Irish companies heading Tales of the Cocktail in the US

Slane Whiskey will be one of 20 Irish drinks companies in the US this week to take part in Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s leading cocktail conference event.

Bord Bia is supporting the companies at the event in New Orleans from July 20th to 25th as part of programme of supports for the sector as it deals with difficult trading conditions.

The 20 companies will meet with prolific on-premise personnel in the US including bar owners, bar tenders and media, with over 1800 guests confirmed. The Irish Spirits Showcase event will feature representatives linked to the Irish drinks and hospitality sector, including Dave Mulligan, owner of Bar 1661 in Dublin, Irish whiskey consultant; Jack McGarry, who is co-founder of The Dead Rabbit bar in New York; and Christy Caldwell, owner of The Ordinarie bar in California, who will all be creating experiences for guests during the week.

Speaking ahead of the event, Bord Bia CEO Jim O’Toole said “The US is an incredibly important market for Irish spirits, worth €860 million to the economy last year.”

“We hope that this event will drive commercial opportunities for Irish companies and an opportunity to showcase Irish spirits and their potential use in cocktails, a vastly underdeveloped space for Irish companies in the US.”

Between 2010 and 2024 the number of working distilleries in Ireland jumped from four to more than 50. Last year Irish whiskey exports surpassed €1 billion. Exports to the US and Canada accounted for over 60% of total cream liqueur exports and grew by 13% and 8% respectively last year.

Bord Bia also led a delegation of Irish drinks companies to Japan as part of the government trade mission led by Minister Martin Heydon last June.

“Irish whiskey, though still a small player, is the fastest-growing imported whiskey in Japan, with a growth of over 10% projected for the coming year,” said Senior Manager for Alcohol at Bord Bia Michael Hussey.