Flasks Tullamore Dew, 20 CL

The town of Tullamore has a proud tradition of distilling whiskey. The first modern factory distillery can be traced back to 1829, founded by Michael Molloy. When he died, the distillery passed into the hands of the Daly family with Captain Bernard Daly in charge of the business. One of his colleagues, Mr. Daniel E. Williams, took over as General Manager and had a huge impact on the business. By 1890, he had the distillery in full swing producing the now famous whiskey, Tullamore Dew. It was actually Daniel’s initials (D. E. W.) that inspired the whiskey's name. Williams was very enterprising: he brought electricity to Tullamore in 1893, had the distillery install the town's first telephones and introduced motorised transport. He ran a commercial empire throughout the Irish midlands – drinks businesses, importing tea, selling seed and grain and a network of 26 general stores.

But there were tough times ahead for Irish whiskey: Prohibition in the United States, an economic war with Britain in the 1930s and World War II all hurt the industry. Tullamore was one of many distilleries affected by a general decline in Irish whiskey sales worldwide, but after World War II, Edmund Williams, grandson of Daniel E. Williams, used modern marketing techniques and re-established Irish whiskey as a world leader. Edmund proved as enterprising as his grandfather. In 1947, Tullamore also developed Irish Mist, an Irish liqueur based on an early recipe known to Ireland’s ancient chieftains. A blend of whiskey, herbs and honey, the recipe disappeared in the late 17th century, only to be rediscovered in a manuscript 250 years later. Edmund also capitalised on the Irish coffee craze, and perhaps most importantly recognised the potential of blended whiskies. The smooth, mature and distinctive taste of Tullamore Dew can be attributed to his foresight.