Background: Originally from Termonfeckin, Co. Louth, Herlihy is the Tullamore Dew U.S. ambassador based in New York City.

When did you move to the U.S.?

“I moved to work with Tullamore Dew as their U.S. brand ambassador. I’ve been in the U.S. since November of 2011, and I’m in the very lucky and privileged position where I get to travel coast to coast, city to city introducing people to Tullamore Dew. 

Can you tell us three interesting facts about Tullamore Dew?

“Tullamore DEW gets its name from both the town of Tullamore located right in the center, right in the heart of Ireland, while the Dew in Tullamore Dew is named after Daniel E. Williams, a man who went to work at the old Tullamore Distillery at the age of 14. Daniel then climbed his way up the corporate ladder of the distillery and eventually went on to own it. When he bought the Tullamore Distillery he lent his initials to every bottle which spelt Dew. 

“Tullamore Dew is tripled distilled Irish whiskey, which gives it a smooth and friendly taste profile.

“Tullamore Dew is the only Irish whiskey to be made from all three styles of Irish whiskey -- grain, malt and pot still.”

Tullamore Dew was awarded Best Irish Whiskey of the Year at the third annual New York International Spirits competition in 2012. How do you stand out in a saturated Irish whiskey market?

“What makes this whiskey stand out from the crowd is it’s one of only a hand full of whiskeys in the world to be matured and finished in four different types of casks. For our 10-year-old single malt expression we use old bourbon, port, sherry and madeira casks to mature our whiskey. This four barrel maturation process results in a flavorsome whiskey like no other.”

Earlier this year you recruited five brand ambassadors to promote Irish whiskey in the U.S. What do they do?  

“In January we hired Jane Maher (San Francisco), Maurice Power (Dallas), Grace Conway (Chicago), Kevin Pigott (Philadelphia) and Katie Loane (New York). Their role is to introduce people to Tullamore Dew and educate them on what makes our liquid great. If you happen to bump into any of them be sure they buy you a drink.”

Tell us about the new Tullamore Dew Distillery in Ireland.

“The €35 million distillery will be developed on the outskirts of Tullamore, bringing whiskey production back to Tullamore for the first time since the original distillery closed in 1954. Work on the distillery will begin in May with a projected completion date of summer 2014. We expect in the region of 100 construction jobs to be created during the building phase. This project follows the redevelopment of the Tullamore Dew Visitor Center which reopened in September 2012.”

Describe Tullamore Dew in three words.

“Smooth, friendly and Irish.”

Interview by Molly Muldoon