Join me for My Church of Oak Distillery Chat with Greg McEntee, Head Distiller.

The Church of Oak distillery in Monasterevin, Co Kildare started operations in 2022 and they have been quietly producing multigrain whiskey and maturing it in the best of cask from the Casknolia Cooperage in Spain.

The distillery was built around the old Ballykelly mills, which is alongside the Royal Canal. They predominantly use local grain grown in Kildare, supporting local farmers and the economy.

I was honoured to be one of the first people allowed in to record at the distillery. This was facilitated and arranged by Ger Garland.

I met up with Head Distiller Greg McEntee who showed me every inch of the place and I was highly impressed with the quality being produced using highly innovative methods and materials.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Cooperage Chat with Mark Quick.

Mark is the Managing Sales Director for Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Cooperage in Newbridge, Co Kildare. KBB is one of two commercial cooperages in the Republic that services the drinks industry with barrels, advice and repair works.

Mark and the team of coopers and technicians deliver seriously quality wood into the Irish and international drinks industries. I have an unending fascination with wood, so getting to wander around a working cooperage with Mark was a real treat.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Rum Chat with Mike Gilmore & Jason Kidd.

Mike Gilmore is an ex-cop from California, who moved to rural Wyoming and opened a liquor store. But he developed a fascination for flavour and founded an Independent bottling company called Roaming Roads Spirits, where he seeks out amazing spirits, including amazing rums, from all over the world and bottles them. I discovered..... very successfully..

Jason Kidd founded Two Shores Rum and also has Blood Monkey Gin. Blood Monkey Gin is a genever style of gin, that originates from The Netherlands. Two Shores Rums are finished in the best of casks that Jason sources. Two really good ranges of spirits.

The 3 of us met over Zoom and had a deep dive chat about their rums.

I learned alot from the lads and I know you will too.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Live Chat with Ger Buckley, Midleton's Master Cooper.

I was asked to host a whiskey event at the Cork on a Fork food festival in Cork city in Aug 2025. I decided to do a Live Podcast episode in the iconic Hi-B bar in the heart of Cork city.

The Hi-B notoriously doesn't allow mobile phones and encourages people actually talking to each other. I know, innovative..! So I couldn't think a better place to host Midleton Master Cooper Ger Buckley for a chat about the Dair Ghaelach or Irish Oak series of whiskeys that he and the team pioneered at Midleton Disitillery.

This was recorded in front of a Live audience, the placed was packed out the door....... with 35 people...

A big Thank You to Rachel O'Donnell, owner and proprietor of the Hi-B, for giving over the use of the bar on a busy festival Saturday afternoon.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Snug Chat with Jim Arnoldt.

I met up with Jim at Belfast Whiskey Week 2025 in the popular food market, the Common Market, at the Cocktail Takeover event. We sat outside the packed event, on the roadside tables and I had a ball chatting to Jim.

Jim is one of the founders of the fabulous Irish bar, The Snug, in Irvington, Indianapolis. At The Snug, the whole team strive to deliver an authentic Irish experience and they have over 120 Irish whiskeys behind the bar. Rumor has it, you'll get a savage pint of The Black Stuff aswell....

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Midleton Cooper Chat with Derek Cronin.

This is my second Chat with Derek, but the first since he qualified as a Cooper..!

Derek is now a Cooper, a barrel maker, in Midleton Distillery. He can now proudly say he apprenticed under the legendary Master Cooper Ger Buckley.

I joined Derek in Midleton Cooperage, where I caught up on how he has been going since I spoke to last, at the start of his coopering journey, nearly 4 yrs ago..!

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Garden Chat with Dean Fitzgerald & Cathal O'Brien part 2.

Dean Fitzgerald runs the Whiskey Appreciation Society pages on Social Media platforms. He does a great job bringing people along his whiskey journey and helping to promote Irish brands. I urge you to check out his profiles and give him a follow.

Cathal O'Brien has been repping West Cork Distillers for a decade now. Cathal originally hails from Galway, but you wouldn't know it with the pride that he has for West Cork.

This is part 2 of our chat where I invited the 2 lads up to my garden and I had a ball talking all things spirits and sharing stories.

We ended up cracking open and sharing some really fabulous bottles on part 2 of our Garden Chat.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Stonewell Cider & Brandy Chat with Diarmuid Madden.

Diarmuid is a Production Operator at Stonewell Cidery in Carrigaline, Cork. They produce an amzing array of quality ciders.

Orr Apple Brandy is their new venture, their own cider distilled by a local distillery and Diarmuid has been spearheading this project since the start of 2025.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Garden Chat with Dean & Cathal pt 1.

Dean Fitzgerald runs the Whiskey Appreciation Society pages on Social Media platforms. He does a great job bringing people along hi journey with him and helping to promote Irish brands. I urge you to check out his profiles and give him a follow.

Cathal O'Brien has been repping West Cork Distillers for a decade now. Cathal originally hails from Galway, but you wouldn't know it with the pride that he has for West Cork.

I invited the 2 lads up to my garden and I had a ball talking all things spirits and sharing stories, with 2 great buddies of mine.

And best of all, this is only part 1 of or chat....!!!

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie

Join me for My Midleton Micro Distillery Chat with Barrett Stapleton - Head Distiller in the Micro.

Barrett originally hails from the US and has beat a really interesting path to his current position in Midleton Distillery.

He came back to Ireland at the end of Covid, after studying in UCC in the early 00's, to start work distilling in Clonakilty Distillery.

From Electrician to Scuba Instructor, from Hawaii to Antarctica, I am so glad that none of those things dissuaded Barrett from joining the Irish Whiskey fraternity, because he is a genuine, passionate, bubbly character whose passion is infectious.

He's my kinda guy and I think after listening to this chat, you'll understand why it's so important to have people like this in the Irish Whiskey Industry.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com

Don't forget to sign up to my Patreon channel for early access episodes and more, for a few euros a month and help me deliver the best podcasts to you.

https://www.patreon.com/whiskeychatspodcast

I really hope you enjoy listening in to our chat.

Laurie