Robert McHugh speaks to Lauren McMullan, co-owner and director of Irish Whiskey Experiences, ‘a dedicated team of whiskey enthusiasts and travel aficionados.’
Lauren McMullan began working in the Old Bushmills Distillery as a tour guide when she was 19 and went on to become the all-Ireland brand ambassador for Bushmills. After almost ten years, in total, working with the brand, she decided to join Irish Whiskey Experiences with Barry Chandler and Anthony Sheehy in 2022.
Irish Whiskey Experiences aims to elevate how visitors to Ireland experience and enjoy the world of Irish whiskey, through unique experiences, exclusive behind-the-scenes access, and bespoke offerings.
In this interview, McMullan talks to Hospitality Ireland about the ambitious plans that the company has in store for 2025.
Please tell me about Irish Whiskey Experiences and its ethos.
Irish Whiskey Experiences was founded back in 2022. We are a very small team of three people. It’s myself, Barry Chandler, who’s also the founder of the Stories & Sips Whiskey Club, and Anthony Sheehy, who is the founder and owner of Irish Whiskey Auctions.
We have over 25 years’ buying experience in the Irish whiskey industry, and we are Ireland’s first company that specialises completely in unique trips, unique experiences, around the liquid of our land, Irish whiskey.
Our core belief is that whiskey is more than just the liquid in your glass. It’s the people, the places, the craftsmanship, and often centuries-old stories that come together to create something really special.
Our aim is to allow our guests to experience and enjoy Irish whiskey like they never thought was possible by bringing them closer to the masters of the whiskey world, such as master blenders and master distillers, and to really go behind the scenes of the distillery, beyond an ordinary distillery tour, to create truly memorable trips.
The group will be hosting the world’s first Irish whiskey cruise in 2025. How will this work?
Yes, you are correct – it is the world’s first Irish whiskey cruise. We will set sail from 2 to 9 November 2025 in the sun-soaked Caribbean. It will begin in San Juan, in Puerto Rico, and it will dock in some of the world’s most beautiful locations, such as St Bart’s and St Maarten, which is lovely to think about in the depths of the Irish winter!
We will be sailing on Star Pride – that’s our ship. It belongs to Windstar Cruises. It’s actually more like a luxury mega-yacht. It will be a very intimate, luxurious cruising experience. The idea is, we don’t believe there is any one way to enjoy Irish whiskey.
We will be bringing some of Ireland’s favourite whiskey personalities and some of Ireland’s most loved and respected brands on board for guests to dine with and to drink with. There will be exclusive whiskey tastings and daily whiskey experiences, both onboard and ashore as well. For example, there will be bar takeovers, beachside whiskey dinners, and even an exclusive Irish whiskey menu onboard the ship.
We have some brilliant brands already confirmed – such as Killowen, Two Stacks, J.J. Corry – and we will be announcing loads more in the coming weeks and months as well. It’s an all-inclusive cruise, so the cost includes absolutely everything, such as your accommodation onboard, all sit-in drinks, and all the experiences. It’s all included in the cost, so we are really excited about the trip.
Recent figures suggest that whiskey is now appealing to a younger demographic. Why do you think this is?
The overall perception around whiskey as a spirit has changed. It was considered an old man’s drink, and there was a core belief that the only thing you could add to whiskey was another whiskey! The view was, you couldn’t do anything with it, and that neat and straight was the only way you could enjoy it.
I think that belief has completely shifted, even in the last eight to ten years. People are coming to realise that whiskey is such a versatile spirit. You can enjoy it whatever way you like. There should never be any judgement about how you enjoy your whiskey.
The main driver of that shift is cocktails. I have noticed that Irish whiskey brands are working very closely with high-end cocktail bars to create really unique drinks and flavour profiles, which means people are enjoying whiskey when they never would have touched it before.
I think, as well, brands themselves are creating strategic marketing campaigns to target that younger demographic. Partnerships are helping the shift also. A great example is one that was launched last year, when Jameson teamed up with Dickies, the US workwear brand, to create some really cool merchandise. Once again, they were tapping into an audience that might not have been whiskey drinkers before.
Please tell me a little bit about your own background – where you grew up and studied.
I was born and raised in County Antrim, along the beautiful north coast of Ireland, just outside a small town called Ballycastle, but I have lived in Belfast most of my adult life, with work and through university. I studied foreign languages at Queen’s University, in Belfast, which is, believe it or not, how I got into the Irish whiskey industry.
Being on the north coast, one of the world’s most recognised and admired whiskey brands called this place home – of course, it was the Old Bushmills Distillery. So, about ten years ago, I saw a little advert in the papers, and they were looking for tour guides. They were looking for someone who could speak one or two other languages, so I applied for the job, and I started working in the Old Bushmills Distillery in 2014.
That was my first introduction into the Irish whiskey world. I worked there for five years as a tour guide and whiskey tutor. I then became the all-Ireland brand ambassador for Bushmills for five years. So, I was actually with the brand for a total of ten years, which is really where my background is and how I got into the whiskey world.
From Bushmills, I joined Irish Whiskey Experiences as director last year. That is my career in a nutshell! My first love of whiskey was actually through starting my career. I had never touched it before. It was a very unusual entry into the industry.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
I love planning and curating our signature experience, which is the Whiskey Bus. It is what it sounds like – a week-long trip where we focus on a region of Ireland and the incredible brands and distilleries that call that area home. It is a great opportunity for people who love whiskey to take a deep dive into the industry and get a real taste of Ireland and Irish whiskey.
Being able to work alongside so many amazing brands to create such unique experiences that really tell a story and give a history in such a great way is 100% my favourite part. Seeing the guests being so blown away by a brand, and the people behind it, is such a special part of the role.
What challenges does the industry face?
There are two challenges that immediately come to mind, and they are increasing energy prices and the rise in general business costs. There are also issues with supply chains, particularly for glass and bottles, and things like that.
I think the overarching challenge, to be honest, is consumer fatigue, which goes hand in hand with the cost-of-living crisis. People are having a tough time at the minute.
The growth of the industry has obviously been incredible, but some of the newer, smaller brands will really have to engage with consumers to build their brand and cut through the noise.
What makes a great whiskey?
It may sound like a cliché, but I think it is the environment you drink it in, and the person or people behind the brand.
For me, it is if I am in the corner of a pub, surrounded by great friends, with a fire on and a bit of trad music playing, and it’s great craic, or if even if I am listening to a master blender or a brand founder talk with such passion about the whiskey in their hand and in their glass – I think that makes it so much more special.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
Well, because I am blessed to live in the part of the world where I do, we have some beautiful beaches up around the north coast, and I love going to the beach at weekends or even in the evenings during summertime or winter mornings. It’s my favourite thing to do.
I love going to gigs and concerts in my free time. I try to go to as many as I can. Going out for dinner and a good whiskey is a popular one as well, and I love a bit of travel. I take a few city breaks throughout the year if I’m lucky.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to spread the word about our experiences with more people globally who love whiskey, and I really want to highlight the incredible whiskey industry that we have through our unique trips and experiences.
Do you have a favourite whiskey?
That’s genuinely like asking someone to name their favourite child! A whiskey that comes to my mind immediately is the Redbreast 27-Year-Old. It’s probably one of the best Irish whiskeys ever created.
Favourite pub?
The Duke of York in Belfast.
Favourite restaurant?
Ferrit & Lee in Midleton. It’s just down the road from Midleton Distillery.
Favourite holiday destination?
The destination that I keep going back to is Croatia. Beautiful islands, great food, and lovely people.
