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Taste A Flavour of Home
Founded in 2017, but with centuries of tradition and family history behind us, Mourne Dew Distillery is the first legal distillery to operate in the Mourne Mountains for many centuries.
Here at Mourne Dew we have taken the very best of our traditions and combined them with modern technology to create a world of curiosity. Our drinks are a fusion of ancient and modern, with old recipes and techniques updated using modern technology. Tried and tested techniques are augmented with cutting edge distillation and flavour development processes to produce outstanding award-winning spirits and liqueurs. We have crafted a unique range of whiskeys, poitíns, gins, vodkas and liqueurs. We invite you to explore our world of curiosity and try a real taste of Ireland and a flavour of our home.
Foraging the Richness of Mourne
A stranger’s eye view of Mourne might see it as a barren and hostile place, inimical to existence in so many ways. Ancient mountain tops, lonely valleys and rocky tors combine with racing waters and heather bedecked boglands to present a stark uncivilised vista which seem to offer no succour to humankind and might be best left to the domain of faerie. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human life in Mourne might not quite be as old as the hills but we have been here a long time and have uncovered many of the secrets of this wonderful timeless place. Foraging the native flora used to be second nature to the natives of Mourne and such knowledge has become like secrets handed down through the generations such that for the right person Mourne is not a wilderness but a rich larder of fruits, roots, blossoms and herbs. Some are best used the way they are found, but there are others which give up their bounty when subject to the poitín makers arts with their flavours preserved in a drop of the ‘craythur’ to be enjoyed by appreciative sippers at some unknown date in the future.
Here at Mourne Dew we are fascinated with the art of foraging and we put our knowledge of local lore to good use to bring you flavours and essences that you will experience nowhere else.
The Fairy Poitin Stills of Mourne
Somewhere between the steely granite outcrops and the lush woodlands of the southern slopes of ancient Mourne, lie hidden fairy stills, ancient vessels in which the finest poitín this side of heaven is created. The enchanted Mourne liquor, more precious than any gold, has been distilled from the fairies’ own herbs and berries, drenched in the dew of early dawn and kissed by the rising sun.
The fairy stills are concealed along the mountain springs and streams which splash over the smoky turf on their way to the Irish Sea, the haunt of pirates and corsairs, the smugglers of contraband wines and weaponry. It was said that in days of yore the nectar of the fairy stills, the life water of the mountains, gave strength to the brave outlaws and rapparees who endured and survived the harshest, most cruel winters in the Mournes over many centuries.
Indeed, great heroes such as Fionn Mac Cumhail drank the Mourne poitín before going into battle with the King of the World, and it sustained him on his travels across Ireland and his wars with the Scottish giants. Only the Síóga, know the exact blend of their dewy herbs and berries, and try as you might, the chances of the untrained eye detecting the whereabouts of a fairy still are remote.
An echo of that ancient fairy magic lives once more in the essence of our Mourne Dew whiskeys, poitíns, gins and vodkas. Those almost, but not quite, forgotten fruits, roots, blossoms and herbs possessed of mystical properties are no longer the sole preserve of the fairies but are now giving up their goodness in the spirits we now offer to you. These ‘bronntanais na Síóga’ (gifts of the fairies) are now available in our magical liquors and will offer an experience unlike anything ever tasted before. Truly they are a world of curiosity.
Artist Collaboration - Capturing Spirits
Our bottles are adorned with the captivating artwork of local artist Kathryn Callaghan. Instead of using brushes, she pours inky mixes freestyle, capturing energy and spirit much like we aim to do at Mourne Dew.
Kathryn’s technique is driven by her desire to capture the essence of her subjects. She strives to represent feelings and memories, rather than produce exact visual representations. Art, from her perspective, has the power to connect with our inner thoughts and memories, thus igniting emotions.
Kathryn’s studio, located near Strangford Lough in County Down, is open by appointment, and you can explore more of her work on her website or social media.
Website: kathryncallaghan.co.uk Facebook and Instagram: @kcfineart