After spending a number of years studying and working in law, property and PR in both Dublin and London, Laura still felt she was missing an opportunity and had the idea of setting up her own distilled spirits company and specifically producing a potato based spirit.
“My grandfather Philip McClenaghan was a well-known potato farmer in Greencastle, Inishowen. One of his many hobbies was to make a poitín with potatoes, so the idea of making a potato based spirit, inspired by my grandfather that could originate from Ireland just stuck with me. Tom loved the idea and identified with the opportunity in the craft liquor market and so, we took the plunge and I moved back home. It’s not been easy but it’s been so fulfilling to create something from scratch, with family heritage at its heart and we’re really excited to launch!”
The gin is currently being produced in Arderin Distillery in Tullamore, Co. Offaly by Eoin Bara who owns Mór Irish Gin. However, Laura and Tom are very keen to expand the business and to eventually set up their own distillery in the village of Muff on the Donegal border.
The Muff Liquor Company name is something that they believe makes them stand out from the rest and perfectly represents the fun and cheeky identity they want to establish with the company. But behind this fun and cheeky exterior, there are the core ideas of hard work, respect for tradition and making something born of the land and crafted by hand.
Laura explains: “These were the ideas Granda McClenaghan passed down through my family and it’s something I was to make sure is at the centre of everything we do. That is the reason an illustration of him adorns the back of the bottle and I couldn’t be prouder to have him as a representation of the ideas and values of this company.”
“The brand is visually very much inspired by the past. My grandfather kept journals of recipes for his poitín, food, and plans for things he would build around the farm. This old journal style is the basis of our brand and a lot of our visuals and will be the main theme running through our physical and digital marketing,”
Tom says that what makes the gin so unique is its potato base. “The base alcohol is made from potatoes along with Mandarin, Lemon, Rosemary and Elderflower and one secret ingredient! We wanted to use some ingredients that are native to Donegal such as wildly grown elderflower. The result of this is a fresh and vibrant gin that carries sweet notes and is quite smooth to drink. The smoothness is the direct result of the potato base and is something that differentiates us from sharper tasting distilled gins on the market at present. Also because we are using a potato base rather than a grain base, the benefit of this is that our gin is wheat-free and gluten-free which is something that was important to us from the beginning of this process.”
Last year in the UK almost 50m bottles of gin were sold, and last year alone gin sales dramatically increased with, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, sales of over £1.2bn. In Ireland gin is the fastest growing spirit in the spirits category among Irish consumers as the public continue to embrace the trend. This is great news for Laura and Tom who are very keen to target those who seek out and enjoy premium gin.
Tom added, “The accelerated growth of the craft drinks sector has been a reflection of the fresh consumers’ attitudes who are entering the market, these are very much aligned with my own generation’s preferences, imbued with originality; a unique identity, more experiential, personalised and fun. There’s also been a resurgence of “cocktail culture”, which has been greatly inspired by programmes such as ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Suits’ for example.
There is also a lot to be said for the customer feeling a part of a craft ‘family’ and identifying with a more unique taste and brand and even packaging style, this creates a much more more personal vibe; reflecting mood and making more of a statement about themselves, rather than choosing a generic drink and is why craft liquors do have a much more engaged and loyal customer base.”
“We are really passionate about our brand and think it’s got a healthy mix of heritage and playfulness, which was well received by our early testers! Further to our gin we do have plans to produce other premium distilled spirits. We intend on also entering new markets internationally and launching our premium vodka in the coming months, so there is loads to be excited about and hope our customers like what we have to offer!.”
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