International Women’s Day at Hakkasan

This collaboration has seen our soon-to-be-released single malt transformed into a showstopping cocktail by four women at the forefront of Hakkasan’s bar, wine and pastry teams. Each has brought their own contribution, reflecting “the finesse of female sommelier, pastry chef, bartender and manager in a delectably decadent serve” – the creatively conceived Golden Nectar. From the rich caramel base of The Donn to the light citrus notes of mimosa cordial and the intricate toasty yuzu flavours of the Hundred Hills Blanc de Blancs 2018 this cocktail is a standout example of what happens when creative minds and the finest ingredients meet. 

As GQ notes, Hakkasan is worth a visit for its Michelin-starred Cantonese cuisine alone, but this month gives us more of an excuse. While 8th March is the perfect time to celebrate the women in your life, the Golden Nectar cocktail and The Donn are available throughout March until 4th April. As the only place to taste The Donn right now, it could be a busy month! 

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Our whiskeys are no strangers to being in the presence of culinary greatness. They’re now featured on the menus of more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other Irish single malt, and now they’ve found a fan in Matt Abé, Chef Patron of the world renowned three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. 

As he says, he’s been lucky enough to try all of our single malts, but it was The Donn that really caught his imagination and made his heart sing. The flavour, complexity and different layers that he discovered in The Donn have now brought their magic to the Aynhoe Park Deer at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. For a limited time only, diners can enjoy the beautiful roasted loin of deer, with sausage made from the shoulder and a little of The Donn, a garnish of shallot compote, earthy beetroot and pickled blackberries. A gel created from The Donn highlights the intensity in the flavours, while a whiskey and cranberry jus completes the culinary creativity.

As well as being used to great effect in the main course, Matt has brought it to one of the Petits Fours with gingerbread, baked to order, a dash of orange marmalade, and a spritz of The Donn. While many alcohols change in flavour when used in cooking, Matt notes that The Donn maintains its integrity, regardless of the processes used. 

Like most of those who’ve tasted The Donn, Matt was impressed by the nuances and flavour that have been crafted into this single malt in a relatively short space of time. But this rare single malt was afforded the same dedication to flavour and craft as its predecessors. From start to finish, it demonstrates the extraordinary flavour profiles that can be achieved with a keen appreciation for flavour and the notes that can be imparted to whiskey through skilled craft and an innovative approach. 

Despite this inaugural batch being just under seven years old, this triple distilled single malt was matured across an unprecedented four barrels, imparting a depth of flavour and rich complexity far beyond its years. It began life in Bourbon, before being moved to barrels that had once held Tawny Port – the very same barrels used in The Devil’s Keep. It was then moved to virgin Hungarian Oak that had been deep-stave toasted to caramelise the wood sugars for rich maple syrup and caramel notes, before a final finish in small 68L Pedro Ximénez casks.

The three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is the first venue to feature The Donn in its dishes and diners can also order a glass of The Taoscán to finish off this inspirational and exquisitely conceived menu. It’s only available for a limited time, so book now to experience the extraordinary beauty of the dish for yourself.

The Three Drinkers are drinks experts, writers and broadcasters Helena Nicklin and Aidy Smith. Joined by a different ‘third drinker’ in the six episodes, the Amazon Prime show promises armchair travel and feel-good entertainment.

Following on from their first series, The Three Drinkers Do Scotch Whisky, the Three Drinkers have taken to the road in Ireland. While their first series focused on whisky, their time in Ireland is more varied and sees them visiting distilleries, cider orchards and country pubs to learn about everything from whiskey, gin, vodka and poitin to beer, Irish cream and even Irish wine.

Arriving with the keys to The Devil’s Keep, they spent time with The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., pouring over the finer details of our experiential whiskeys and admiring the attention to detail that epitomises our whiskeys and their surrounds. They were lucky enough to taste the whiskey, and to discover how the experience is perfected with the expertly designed pipette, obsidian whiskey stones and Irish spring water.

Jay Bradley, Founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. even set the Three Drinkers a challenge. Sending them a bottle of our latest, yet to be revealed, release, he tasked them with creating a luxury Irish whiskey cocktail. While some would argue that mixing a whiskey of such complexity, depth and viscosity into a cocktail is a crime, Aidy argues that it’s all about finding the perfect balance to let the whiskey shine through.

With a focus on diversity and better inclusivity within the drinks industry, the series showcases a more inclusive world and we’re proud to be a part of it.