Whiskey Chats

Join me for My Irish Whiskey Association Chat with Director Eoin O'Catháin.

Eoin has been Director of the IWA for over 2.5 years. We sat for a chat in a busy Doheny & Nesbitt pub on Dublin's Baggot St, a real charming boozer in the heart of Dublin city.

Eoin and I chatted about how the IWA advocates for and protects the Irish Whiskey category internationally and went down many other rabbit-holes...

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by:

• www.boanndistillery.ie
• www.killowendistillery.com
• www.theharbourviewhotel.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 Harbourview Whiskey Hotel Chat with Adrian McLaughlin.

Adrian, along with a few other lads, has created Ireland's first whiskey hotel, above in Co Antrim.

The hotel has an amazing Wee Bar, to chill out in. A hugely diverse selection of whiskeys to choose from, a cask room where you can bottle your own whiskey straight from the cask, a rhib boat that can bring you the short trip across the Irish Sea to Islay or Campbeltown, two Scottish whisky meccas..... It has it all.... and I got to experience it first hand.

Have a listen in as Adrian gives me the grand tour and we have a bit of craic chatting whiskey.

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 Bushmills Chat with Master Distiller Colum Egan.

Colum has worked at Bushmills Distillery since the 90's, before becoming Master Distiller in 2002.

He grew up in Portarlington, Co Laois, but a local Antrim girl drew him North, where he has enjoyed an illustrious career in Bushmills Distillery.

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 Bushmills Cooper Chat with Alastair Kane.

Alastair has worked in Bushmills Distillery for nearly 50yrs..!!

He grew up in Bushmills village, a mere stone's throw from Bushmills Distillery, where he played as a kid.

In 2012 he apprenticed his son Chris, who now works alongside his dad in the cooperage, completing a 5th generation coopering legacy in the Kane family.

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 Bushmills Chat with Les Duthie.

Les Duthie was the Bushmills Distillery manager from the early 70's until the mid-90's.

He is 92 yrs young and has a memory like an elephant. I went and sat with Les at his home in Bushmills village, a mere stone's throw from Bushmills Distillery.

He grew up in Glasgow and entered into the drinks industry in the 1950's, where he spent his entire career, ending up as Distillery Manager in Bushmills during a pivotal point in Irish history - The Troubles.

This was a privilege to sit and chat with Les and I expect you will learn as much from him as I did.

Thank you to his daughter Shirley and also to Adrian McLoughlin from The Harbourview Whiskey Hotel in Carnlough for facilitating this 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 Pub Chat with Stephen Magennis from Echlinville Distillery.

I met up with Steve in The Duke of York pub in Belfast city centre, truly one of the best decorated pubs on the island. Just amazing place to sit.

We took up residence in the wee snug, down the back, an chatted about Stephen's time working in the whiskey industry for nearly 20yrs. Steve has a really good perspective of where we were before the resurgance of Irish Whiskey and where we are now. He is not afraid to speak the hard truths too and it made this chat all the more interesting.

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 Killowen Distillery Chat with Patrick Grey Sloan, Killowen's newest distiller.

I called up to Killowen Distillery, a you do, on a typically cold, wintry day, but still got a warm welcome as always. Patrick showed me around the new still room and we chatted about how an Estimator ended up distilling potcheen and whiskey up the side of the Mourne Mountains.

I really enjoyed getting to know Patrick, who is already proving himself to be another passionate flavour maker at Killowen Distillery

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 JP O'Riordan, Dan Pennington & Paulie Costello.

We met up in my back garden at Xmas time 2025 and cracked open a lash of amazing liquids to chat and banter about. We got a few things right, I got a few things wrong......!!.... but the main thing is we had a ball doing it, as usual.

Thanks to the lads for calling up and to Dan for cooking some amazing pizza on the pizza oven after we finished recording.

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 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