Icons of Whisky Awards - Ireland 2023

In a return to in-person awards ceremonies, Irish whiskey’s great and good gathered together at the Iveagh Garden Hotel in Dublin on 24 November for the Icons of Whisky Ireland 2023 regional awards, hosted by 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 that work to support and promote them and their products.

Christopher Coates, Editor-at-large of Whisky Magazine, said: “The burgeoning Irish whiskey industry is really coming into its own this year, as many producers have at last begun to transition from sourced liquid to spirits distilled entirely on their own sites and by their own teams. What’s more, the renaissance of the pot still tradition on its home turf is a welcome one, following an unsettling number of years where craft producers of this mixed mash bill style were more likely to be in the USA than Ireland. Hand-in-hand with this coming of age for Ireland’s newest whiskies, the reopening of the world following the Covid-19 pandemic has seen the Irish whiskey tourism industry blossom in earnest. I look forward to seeing how the joint efforts of the Irish Whiskey Association, Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board), Fáilte Ireland, Discover Northern Ireland and all the distilleries on the island of Ireland will deliver a world-class whiskey experience.”

You can join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #WhiskyMagAwards.

Icons of Whisky Ireland 2023 Winners and Highly Commended

Distiller
Winner
Irish Distillers

Highly Commended
Waterford Distillery

Craft Producer
Winner
Blackwater Distillery

Highly Commended
Dingle Distillery

Sustainable Distillery
Winner
Midleton Distillery, County Cork

Highly Commended
Pearse Lyons Distillery

Brand Innovator
Winner
Waterford Distillery

Highly Commended
Boann Distillery

Campaign Innovator
Winner
Waterford Distillery

Highly Commended
Powerscourt Distillery

Visitor Attraction
Winner
Powerscourt Distillery & Visitor Centre

Highly Commended
Teeling Whiskey Distillery

Distillery Manager
Winner
Michelle Guilfoyle, Dingle Distillery

Master Distiller / Master Blender
Winner
Paul Corbett, Powerscourt Distillery

Highly Commended
John Wilcox, Blackwater Distillery

Irish Whiskey Brand Ambassador
Winner
Dan Grummel, Blackwater Distillery

Highly Commended
Tommy Byrne, Irish Distillers

Visitor Attraction Manager
Winner
Lisa Jameson, Teeling Whiskey Company

Highly Commended
Ewan Paterson, Clonakilty Distillery

Single Outlet Retailer
Winner
Celtic Whiskey Shop

Multiple Outlet Retailer
Winner
Aer Rianta International (ARI), The Loop Duty Free, Dublin Airport – The Irish Whiskey Collection

Online Retailer
Winner
Celtic Whiskey Shop

Travel Retailer
Winner
Aer Rianta International (ARI), The Loop – The Irish Whiskey Collection

Whisky Buyer
Winner
Ally Alpine, Celtic Whiskey Shop

Highly Commended
Tracey Jordan, Aer Rianta International (ARI)

Bar Manager
Winner
Jim Rafferty, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild

Highly Commended
Sasha Dovik, Celtic Whiskey Shop

Bartender
Winner
Evan O’ Connor, Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Highly Commended
Krzysztof Majewski, Revolution Whiskey Bar

Whisky Bar
Winner
Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder

Highly Commended
The Dylan Whisky Bar

Whisky Bar Group
Winner
Kilkenny Whiskey Guild

Communicator
Winner
Barry Chandler, Stories & Sips

Highly Commended
Matt Healy, Potstilled.com

General Manager (hotel)
Winner
Eddie Langton, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild

Travel Retailer
Winner
Aer Rianta International (ARI), The Loop Duty Free, Dublin Airport – The Irish Whiskey Collection

Independent Bottler
Winner
Two Stacks Whiskey

Highly Commended
Celtic Whiskey Shop