The
Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky awards have announced the Ireland regional winners in the 2022 competition at a ceremony in Dublin – marking a return to in-person events after almost two years.
After another year of challenges, members of the whisky industry gathered at the Iveagh Garden Hotel on 25 November to celebrate its best people and places, in the first regional ceremony in the 2022 Icons of Whisky.
Both the winners and highly commended entrants in each of the awards' categories were announced at the ceremony - the first in-person event for the Icons since early 2020.
Waterford Distillery took the coveted Distiller of the Year title, while Teeling Whiskey Company scooped the Sustainable Distillery of the Year award. The 2022 competition also sees a Chef of the Year title awarded for the first time, in a recognition of the growing bond between the fine dining and whisky industries.
Christopher Coates,
Whisky Magazine editor, said: "This year's results are a testament to the great work that's been done by Irish whiskey makers over the past year. It's truly delightful to see the Irish whiskey industry growing at a rapid pace and drinkers' interest in Irish whiskey increasing exponentially. I'm certain this positive trend will continue and that competition in our Icons of Whisky categories will remain fierce for decades to come."
Run by the team at
Whisky Magazine, the Icons of Whisky awards aim to celebrate the best and brightest people and places in the sector - not just the distilleries and the teams that work in them, but also the individuals and businesses, from bartenders to retailers, that work to support and promote them and their products.
The full list of winners and highly commended people and places from the Ireland regional awards can be found below as well as at
www.iconsofwhisky.com.
Icons of Whisky Ireland 2022 Winners and Highly Commended
DistillerWinnerWaterford Distillery
Craft ProducerWinnerDingle Distillery
Highly CommendedBlackwater Distillery
Sustainable DistilleryWinnerTeeling Whiskey Company
Highly CommendedMidleton Distillery
Brand InnovatorWinnerBoann Distillery
Highly CommendedRoe & Co Irish Whiskey
Campaign InnovatorWinnerDingle Distillery
Visitor AttractionWinnerJameson Distillery Bow Street
Highly CommendedClonakilty Distillery Visitor Experience
Distillery ManagerWinnerPaul Wickham, Midleton Distillery
Master Distiller / Master BlenderWinnerKevin O’Gorman, Midleton Distillery
Highly CommendedPaul Corbett, Clonakilty Distillery
Irish Whiskey Brand AmbassadorWinnerRobert Caldwell, Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Highly CommendedGerard Corbett, Clonakilty Distillery
Visitor Attraction ManagerWinnerEwan Paterson, Clonakilty Distillery
Single Outlet RetailerWinnerCeltic Whiskey Shop
Multiple Outlet RetailerWinnerAer Rianta International (ARI), The Loop
Online RetailerWinnerCeltic Whiskey Shop
Travel RetailerWinnerAer Rianta International (ARI), The Loop - The Irish Whiskey Collection
SupermarketWinnerSuperValu
Own Brand SupermarketWinnerLidl Ireland
Whisky BuyerWinnerTracey Jordan, Aer Rianta International (ARI)
Highly CommendedAlly Alpine, Celtic Whiskey Shop
NEW TO 2022: ChefWinnerJason Nolan, Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder
Bar ManagerWinnerPadraic Rafter, Paris Texas Bar
Highly CommendedJim Gordon, Revolution Whiskey Bar
BartenderWinnerAlex White, Revolution Whiskey Bar
Highly CommendedEvan O’Connor, Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder
Whisky BarWinnerCeltic Whiskey Bar & Larder
Highly CommendedRevolution Whiskey Bar
Whisky Hotel BarWinnerThe Tack Room at Adare Manor
Highly CommendedPortmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, The Jameson Bar
CommunicatorWinnerMatt Healy, Potstilled.com