Facilitated by the spirit’s distribution partner, Mangrove Global, over 35 venues across the country are set to host their St Patrick’s Day celebrations – fuelled by Ireland’s very own Glendalough Irish Whiskey. In the true spirit of the Irish, Glendalough Irish Whiskey is set to be enjoyed by revellers up and down the UK, in the Irish Coffee, specially crafted cocktails, and poured honest and straight from the bottle, as various venues prepare their activations for the 17th March.
Taking part in the revelry with their own headline activations, will be London hotspots The George, and The Edition, Manchester’s Salmon of Knowledge, and Glasgow’s sebb’s.
At The George in Fitzrovia, the festivities will kick off on Friday 14th March and carry on until close on Monday 17th March, The George will be home to live Irish music sets, a riotous Irish pub quiz hosted by Comedian Peter Flanagan, a live stream of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and the Six Nations finals which will see Ireland play Italy at 2.15pm. Visitors will enjoy Irish fare like chicken fillet rolls, native oysters, as well as menu staples like The George’s famous hot dog, but served up with delicious Guinness gravy. On offer to wash down the festivities will be a signature Irish Coffee using Glendalough’s Double Barrel Whiskey – which has become the bar’s hallmark hot drink. The warming ‘cocktail’ pairs the delicious spirit with freshly made Origin coffee, cream, and a homemade Guinness reduction – creating the perfect serve every time.
To round off the celebrations on Paddy’s Day itself, The George will give away 100 free Glendalough Irish Coffees, served on a first-come, first served basis. This is a must for St Patrick’s Day stalwarts and the venue hopes to welcome plenty of people from the trade to join the festivities and mark a successful weekend for all by raising a glass together.
At The London Edition – an equally entertaining celebration of Irish culture will take place in the form of Jonbers’ Irish Revue. Hosted by esteemed Irish Drag Race alumni, Jonbers Blonde, guests will enjoy a three-course lunch and show celebrating the best of Irish cuisine and culture, including drag performances, poetry, a Sinead O’Connor sing-along, and traditional Irish Dancing troupe. The menu will feature Irish food – and the guest’s choice of expertly crafted Glendalough Irish Whiskey cocktails.
Nick Gillett, Managing Director of Mangrove commented on the activation:
“Glendalough Distillery is an exceptional example of an Irish drinks’ portfolio enjoying global success. And the feather in its cap, Glendalough Irish Whiskey, is the only choice of tipple to celebrate with this St Patrick’s Day.
“Whether you’re celebrating at The George, The London Edition, Salmon of Knowledge, sebb’s or elsewhere – the sheer determination and creativity of our industry deserves to be recognised. So, toast the trade with a glass of Glendalough Irish Whiskey in hand – rooted in Ireland, raised for St. Patrick’s Day. Sláinte!”
Every year, St Patrick’s Day is a long-awaited boon for the UK’s on trade, after the traditionally quieter months of January and February. In 2024 St Patrick’s Day was reported to bring UK pubs and venues over £81.3m in 2024 – up from £78.9m the previous year[1]. This year, venues are set to continue to monopolise on consumers’ appetite for fun – and satisfy their appetites with Irish produce in the process.
Glendalough Distillery prides itself on finding the best flavours for their whiskeys, through a precise and dedicated programme of ageing which gives way to some exceptional liquids. Whilst innovation is at the heart of their process, the team are rooted in their local history and Irish tradition – which means when you sip a glass of Glendalough Irish Whiskey, you’re guaranteed a true and honest taste of Ireland.
Mangrove Global was established by John Coe and Nick Gillett in 2006, who built up a team of passionate spirits experts. In early 2023 Mangrove was acquired by GBH, based in Martinique, and incorporated the SPIRIBAM rums into its diverse portfolio. With a large range of premium spirits from mezcals to sakes, world whiskies to vermouths, MD Nick Gillett oversees a dedicated team of spirits professionals, mixologists, sales experts and brand strategists, with extensive experience in both the on and off trade UK spirits market.
In the last two years Mangrove has expanded its team, built up its portfolio and opened new accounts, resulting in an extended reach and enhanced market presence. With more than 300 B2B business partners, Mangrove continues to grow year on year.
Mangrove’s hand-picked portfolio has been carefully built around dynamic, innovative brands with a strong eco-responsible sensibility. The company has been able to develop many brands that have now become leaders in their category based on effective marketing activations, great commercial agility and an effective communication strategy.
Mangrove has recently recorded strong growth in its turnover, which has increased from £10.5m in 2015 to over £21m last year.