McConnell's Irish Whisky: When An Old Brand Comes Back to Life

When launching a new booze brand, it helps to have a good angle. McConnell’s Irish Whisky , which surfaced — or resurfaced — in 2020, ticks the “legendary lost brand back from the dead” box. The Belfast-based brand’s history is said to date all the way back to 1776, which would make it Ireland’s oldest whiskey brand. The information I’ve seen is a little confusing, but I believe the Cromac distillery where it was originally made closed in 1930, and then the brand itself folded in 1958. Now, a mere six decades and change later, here it comes again, complete with a label that’s a close replica of the original, right down to the spelling of “whisky” (Irish brands nowadays typically spell it with the “e”). 

Construction of the brand’s new distillery in Belfast (on the site of a notorious jail, no less!) isn’t finished, so the whiskey — er, whisky — in the bottle is sourced, in this case from the Great Northern Distillery, which blended malt and grain whiskeys and aged them at least five years in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled it at 42% ABV. Does it taste like the original? The only vintage McConnell’s bottle I could find online was auctioned in 2014, and the bidding started at £10,000, so it’s highly unlikely that many people know firsthand.

But as fun as the history lessons can be, it’s the more prosaic elements of McConnell’s that appeal to me. It’s a solid, inexpensive ($32.99 suggested retail price), and extremely enjoyable Irish whiskey (whisky?) that comes in a nice-looking bottle. Something you can drink regularly with much enjoyment and without too much thought. Notes of apple, vanilla, malt, a bit of oak, a hint of chocolate, and the tiniest kick on the finish — some might even call it, er, “smooth.” I’ve paired it with spaghetti bolognese, burgers, and dim sum, and it goes perfectly well with all of them. 

 I’m one of those high-proof snobs when it comes to making cocktails — I feel like most lower-proof spirits can get overwhelmed by the ingredients with which they’re mixed, though there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. But even at 42% ABV, McConnell’s is a nice mixer for spirit-forward drinks like an Old Fashioned or the Tipperary, one of those cocktails the brand made up (see recipe below). It’s not a life-altering whiskey by any stretch. But it’s a little bit of uncomplicated goodness. Something nice to share with friends or drink by your lonesome. A crutch to get you through a lousy day and a reward at the end of a good one. And my gosh, shouldn’t that be enough of a selling point?

 But just in case it’s not, the history angle is pretty cool too.

Tipperary 

By Ebby Kurian @ebbydranks

Tipperary cocktail photo credit @ebbydranks

Ingredients:

1.5 oz McConnell’s Irish Whisky

1 oz sweet vermouth

0.5 oz green chartreuse

0.5 oz chilled water

1 bar spoon cane sugar syrup

2 dashes orange bitters

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with orange peel wrapped maraschino cherries.