By definition, a craft spirit is “an artisanal alcoholic beverage produced in small batches by independent distilleries.” The makers emphasize quality, unique flavors, and traditional production methods and, as I discovered during a recent visit to County Kerry, a strong sense of place.
MUCKROSS CRAFT IRISH SPIRITS
Nothing screams “Killarney” more than the name Muckross — fifteenth century Muckross Abbey, nineteenth century Muckross House, Gardens, & Farm, and twentieth century Muckross Park Hotel, to name just a few locales that bear its name — and now a pair of craft Irish spirits pay homage as well. Andrea Kissane and Martin Wray launched Muckross Wild Irish Spirits in 2020, made the first delivery of their artisanal gin a year later, and introduced their vodka this summer. When I asked Andrea, a Killarney native, how she and her Derryman partner and co-founder how caught the gin-making bug, she admitted it was really a “eureka moment.”
Andrea Kissane and Martin Wray. [[Photo: Muckross Irish Gin]
“Martin had a background in mixology, and we enjoyed experimenting with simple gins,” she told me, “mixing them with different essences and garnishes to see how that altered the taste profile. And then we were in Muckross one day and thought why shouldn’t there be a premium gin inspired by the melody of nature’s finest botanicals that are native to our home — the taste of Muckross in a bottle — taking its place with all the other premium spirits on offer.”
Andrea grew up a stone’s throw from Muckross National Park, spending every weekend with her parents in the great outdoors. “I learned about the fauna and flora — bluebells in May, ox-eye daisies in June, fuchsia in July and August,” she told me, and when it came to developing their gin production, the pair turned to this for inspiration.
“We worked with master distiller, Eoin Bara, and learned how to create a recipe that would give a unique taste profile and be a tribute to that natural majesty of Muckross. After many iterations and tasting sessions, we settled on the floral notes of rosehip and heather and the subtle woody flavors of blackthorn and hawthorn leaves.” The couple work with local forager, Noreen Tobin, and blend Muckross botanicals with bitter orange and grapefruit to produce a crisp, citrus burst on the palate. She added, “We also include juniper, coriander, rosemary and angelic to create what we love to call ‘a new spirit from an ancient Kingdom.’”
Their gin has gained accolades throughout Ireland and beyond, winning Ireland’s “Gin of the Year” title in 2025 along with a gold medal at the prestigious Berlin International Spirits Competition. They’re hoping to repeat this success with the newly launched premium Irish vodka, crafted using hand-forged golden gorse flowers for a delicate note of toasted coconut and vanilla.
And oh those bottles! Muckross offers its craft gin and vodka in stunning, bespoke-designed, Italian glass that highlights both the botanicals and the woodland creatures that also call Killarney home (muckrossirishgin.com).
VALENTIA ISLAND VERMOUTH
You’d be forgiven if you don’t identify vermouth as an Irish spirit — Italy or Spain probably come more readily to mind — but that was before 2021 when Orla and Anna Snook O’Connell launched their Valentia Island Ór, a golden vermouth made originally in their kitchen on the south Kerry island. Neither woman trained as a distiller or winemaker and neither lived on Valentia at the time; rather, they met while studying art in Bristol, England, and worked there in an immersive theater events company that combined art and food.
“Our vermouth is very much art-based and is the backbone of everything we do,” Orla told me, explaining how the this ‘vermouth thing’ came to be. “Anna worked in lots of excellent restaurants in Bristol, and one night she went to a vermouth tasting event. She fell in love with it and declared to me that night that Ireland should have its own! It wasn’t that strange for us to give something a ‘go’ because we were already working [creatively] in theatre and food. It was only when we moved to Valentia that we had the space to make it happen.”
That move occurred in 2018, the year they got married at The Lighthouse (that locale is beautifully reflected in the bottle design). Working originally at their home, the couple began blending the requisite herbs and botanicals that are basic to the “recipe” for vermouth (an aromatized fortified wine) with Verdejo wine from Spain. They started experimenting with different plant tinctures, and Orla’s dad, a beekeeper from Kerry who was well-versed in local flora, would call her and suggest adding “a bit of this (heather) or a bit of that” (gorse)” when they came into season. They took his advice and began making their uniquely Irish vermouth with at least 20 plants and herbs.
Orla and Anna Snook O’Connell. [Photo: Valentia Island Vermouth]
“We steep them to pull out the flavor,” Orla told me, and add their own homemade caramel. “This not only helps to give the vermouth its rich sweetness but also its delicious mouthfeel. . . ours is a beautiful, magical, bittersweet vermouth, delicious on its own with ice and a slice of orange, a dash of tonic, or with sparkling wine in a Valentia Spritz.” Traditionalists will enjoy it in classic cocktails such as the Manhattan (rye or bourbon with Angostura bitters) or Negroni (Campari and gin) — with an Irish twist.
Production has since moved from their kitchen table to a Vermouthery in nearby Cahirsiveen, and the pair launched their vermouth this summer at The Dead Rabbit, Manhattan’s legendary pub (30 Water Street) and in D.C. They expect it to be available in other locations in the coming months (valentiaislandvermouth.com)
Valentia Spritz. [Photo: Valentia Island Vermouth]
Margaret Johnson’s “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel” page alternates with “Recipes.” For further details on her work, or to order a signed cookbook, visit irishcook.com.
