We talk about Teeling’s history, the whiskeys I spent countless hours pouring, and what it was like looking after the West of Ireland. The long drives, the bars, the people, the good days, the frustrating days, and, somehow, an awful lot of tea.

But really, this episode is about the people, the memories, and a chapter of my career that I still look back on very fondly.

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This week on That’s the Spirit, we’re stepping away from the distillery and meeting one of the people who has helped shape Irish whiskey over the past two decades.

From Irish Distillers to Keeper’s Heart in Minneapolis, Ger Garland has built a career around great whiskey, great stories and, most importantly, great people.

Now back home in Ireland, Ger is beginning his next chapter at Church of Oak Distillery in County Kildare.

We talk about his journey, the people who have influenced him along the way, and what comes next.

Sláinte!

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This week on That’s the Spirit, we’re heading to Ardara in Donegal to discover the story of Sliabh Liag Distillers.

Founded by James and Moira Doherty, Sliabh Liag is reconnecting Donegal with its distilling heritage, from the smoky whiskey traditions of the past to the new Ardara Distillery shaping its future.

We explore The Silkie collection, Sliabh Liag’s distinctive approach to peated Irish whiskey, and the people, landscape and stories behind the spirit.

Because sometimes, there’s a little bit of Donegal in the bottle.

Sláinte!

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Seven generations. One stretch of land on the Boyne. A family that sold one of Ireland's biggest drinks businesses to go and build something smaller and started by digging up recipes nobody had used in 200 years.

This episode is the story of Boann Distillery: how the Cooney family brought whiskey-making back to Drogheda after a 160-year gap, why they bet on Single Pot Still, one of the hardest styles to get right and how mash bills recreated from the 1820s ended up shaping proposed EU legislation on the category.

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Bushmills.

The oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. A place shaped by wind, water, and centuries of patience, where triple-distilled single malt Irish whiskey has been made the same way, on the same site, for generations.

But this episode isn't just about a distillery. It's about the people who bring whiskey to life beyond the still house. And one of those people is Seamus Lowry, one of the most respected and quietly influential figures in the Irish whiskey industry.

From the iconic Bushmills Original and Black Bush, to the depth and complexity of the 10, 16, and 21 Year Old single malts, we explore what makes Bushmills one of Ireland's most enduring and distinctive whiskey producers.

And along the way, a reminder that the best whiskey stories are never really about the bottle.

They're about the people behind it.

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In Episode 2 of That's the Spirit, we head to Galway to explore the story of Micil Distillery — founded by brothers Pádraic and Jimín Ó Griallais — and how they transformed a once-illicit family craft into Galway's first legal distillery in over a century.

We explore the rich history of poitín in the hills of Connemara, the journey from traditional Irish spirits to a growing range of award-winning Irish whiskey, and what it means to honour a family legacy while helping shape the future of Irish craft spirits.

If you're passionate about Irish whiskey, craft distilling, or the culture and heritage of the west of Ireland — this one's for you.

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For the first episode of That's the Spirit, we head west to the wild, wind-swept town of Dingle, County Kerry, and the story behind one of Ireland's first truly independent distilleries in generations.

Founded in 2012 by the team behind the Porterhouse Brewing Company, Dingle was built small by design — hands-on, craft-led, and answerable to no one but themselves. From the water drawn 240 feet beneath the distillery to the Atlantic mist rolling in off the peninsula, the place itself shapes everything in the glass.

We explore the whiskeys, the centuries-old local tradition behind their iconic Wren Boy symbol, and the man who carries the distillery's spirit out into the world — Global Brand Ambassador, Beardy Dave Cummins.

Because at Dingle, it was never just about the whiskey. It was always about the people, the place, and the story behind the bottle.

Sláinte

That's the Spirit is a podcast for those of legal drinking age. Whatever you're pouring, please enjoy it responsibly.

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