Memories of Irish Mist sought for new book
For about forty years Tullamore was home to the production, bottling and marketing of a world-class product, Irish Mist Liqueur.
The background to the project to establish a whiskey-based liqueur came from English contacts of the Williams distillery company, B. Daly, and arose out of the scarcity of whiskey in England as the war came to an end in 1945.
Irish Mist was the first liqueur to be produced in Ireland when commercial production began at the Tullamore facility in 1947 although the company history goes back to 1829 when the original Tullamore Distillery was founded.
The drink, a mixture of whiskey, honey and ‘secret ingredients’ was born out of an idea to use up the large stocks of whiskey available at the Tullamore Distillery following the Second World War.
From the 1970s the company employed about eighty people including some key marketing jobs and Irish Mist was available in over 80 countries throughout the world. It was a major employer to the town and the brand still resonates strongly with Tullamore and Offaly people.
The early eighties was less buoyant and the company was sold by the Williams Group to Cantrell and Cochrane and the last bottle of Irish Mist produced in Tullamore came off the main production line at 4.35pm on Wednesday, November 27, 1985.
With the support of Creative Ireland and Offaly County Council, Offaly History are on an excursion to find out what made Irish Mist such a prestigious product that was distributed worldwide and using the best designs for packaging.
It all started in Tullamore in 1947 so if you can help fill in the gaps Offaly History wants to hear from people with memories. They want to record it in book form and hear from people who can give first-hand accounts. You might have a story to tell and you may have pictures. The work on the project has now started so get in early with your contribution of a memory or a picture.
Please contact John Flanagan, Ardan Heights, Brian Jaffray or Michael Byrne or Frank Nicholson.
Email info@offalyhistory.com or call to Offaly History Centre, Bury Quay, Tullamore.
The work on the project has now started so get in early with your contribution of a memory or a picture.