This May has seen the launch of a unique and exciting partnership for Ashford Castle. By collaborating with the renowned Shed Distillery of County Leitrim, we can now offer our guests the option to take a unique taste of Ashford Castle home with our bright and exotic gin, beautifully paired with gunpowder tea.

Photo of Ashford Castle Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and glass

Inspiration from the exceptional nature reserves of our 800-year-old estate is woven through the flavours of the unique blend, which features a careful balance of oriental citrus flavours with smooth-flowing honey from the first harvest of our beehives and wood sorrel from the 350-acre Castle grounds. The gin is carefully slow-distilled before being sealed, bottled, and labelled by hand at The Shed Distillery, each drop being held with the passion and care that is at the centre of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection.

Photo of a cocktail made using the new Ashford Castle Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and honey

The unique and refreshing flavour, born from the creative mind of PJ Rigney (Managing Director and Founder of The Shed Distillery) and Brian Taft (Head Distiller at The Shed Distillery) sees a close partnership between The Shed Distillery and the team at Ashford Castle (led by our Bar and Lounge Manager, Noli Alngohuro, and General Manager, Niall Rochford). This makes the gin not only an exquisite Irish blend, but a marriage of two family-owned businesses with a shared ethos of passion, authenticity, sustainability, and a focus on local employment. The Ashford Castle Estate and The Shed Distillery now employ nearly 500 people combined.

Photo of Niall Rochford presenting a bottle of Ashford Castle's new gin to PJ and Denise Rigney

Our Ashford Castle Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is recognisable by the distinguished colours of the Ashford Castle Estate with a deep-green bottle and golden foil, accompanied by the Curious Jackalope of The Shed Distillery. It is exclusively available now for €65 from the Castle’s Boutique store, The Shed Distillery Experience gift shop in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, as well as in-store and online from Mrs Tea’s Boutique & Bakery.