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Saint Brendans is an Irish cream from the Irish town of Derry. A young, but already well-known brand is popular with residents of the United States and Europe. Buyers appreciate the liquor for its soft creamy taste with hints of toffee and vanilla and the complete absence of alcoholic notes. Experts believe that Saint Brendans in the future is able to seriously compete with his famous rival – Bayleys (Baileys).
History of Saint Brendans liqueur
St. Brandans is produced by the independent company Niche Drinks. The company was founded by hereditary winemaker Kieran Mulgrew, his father worked in the bars of Belfast for a long time and knew all about the secrets of Irish whiskey. The businessman chose the Irish city of Derry, known for its long tradition of whiskey smoking, as the production site. In the second half of the 1887th century, the Watt Distillery was built here, which in XNUMX was recognized as the largest producer of Irish whiskey in the world.
In 1983, Mulgrew converted the plant to produce cream liqueurs. The company produced products both under its own brands and by order of other companies. In the first decade of operation, the company purchased whiskey for traditional Irish liqueurs from other distilleries. In 2005, Kieran Mulgrew decided to revive the Derry whiskey tradition and announced that Niche Drinks was planning to expand its line of products.
Niche Drinks is considered to be a small independent producer, but the company’s reserves today amount to more than 50 million liters of aged distillate. The Derry facility annually produces about 1 million single malt and blended whiskeys and exports its products to the United States, France, Italy and the Scandinavian countries. In 2018, a large stake in the enterprise was acquired by the American company Luxco, which took part in the creation of The Quiet Man whiskey.
Liquor St. Brandans plant produces since 1983. The brand got its name in honor of St. Brendan, a navigator and founder of a monastery in the Irish village of Clonfert. The creators conceived the drink as the embodiment of the adventurous spirit of the sage and prophet, known for his journey across the Atlantic Ocean in search of the Promised Land. A number of researchers believe that Brendan Clonfert became the first navigator to reach the shores of the New World.
Production features
At the heart of Saint Brendans is The Quiet Man triple-distilled Irish whiskey. Kieran Mulgrew named the brand after his father, who, in the course of his work, had to listen to a lot of stories from drunken clients, but he never told them to outsiders. In 2015, this whiskey won the title of the best in the UK – about 25 thousand inhabitants of Foggy Albion voted for it. Another important ingredient of the liquor – cream – the company buys from Irish farmers.
Niche Drinks does not reveal all the secrets of production, however, it guarantees the high quality of all ingredients. The classic technology involves the use of whiskey exclusively triple distillation, fresh cream and sugar. The production site in Derry is equipped with the latest technology and in 2018 was once again upgraded.
The popularity of St. Brandans is evidenced by the fact that in the USA it is in the top 5 most purchased Irish liqueurs.
How to drink Saint Brendans liqueur
Traditionally, St. Brandans liqueur is usually served after a meal with desserts or coffee. You should not store it in the refrigerator, as cooling will reduce the intensity of the bouquet. However, in recent years, the serving of Irish liqueurs with ice is gaining more and more popularity, in this case, the dessert alcoholic drink is poured not into a small glass, but into a tall glass.
The liqueur goes well with sambuca, absinthe, amaretto and citrus liqueurs.
Cocktails with St. Brandans
Saint Brendans is a good substitute for Baileys for mixing in Hiroshima and Slippery Nipple cocktails, where Irish Cream is one of the required ingredients.
It is worth trying an interesting cocktail “Hulk”. To prepare it, pour 25 ml of St. Brandans into a shot glass, and use a cocktail spoon to lay a layer of 25 ml of French Chartreuse green liqueur on top. Bright dessert shots look spectacular on the table and will surely please the guests.
