BUSHMILLS® IRISH WHISKEY CALLS ON WHISKEY FANS TO HONOUR ST. PATRICK WITH NEW TOAST

Bushmills, Northern Ireland – Monday 13th March 2017: The oldest licensed distillery in Ireland is calling on whiskey fans to toast to St. Patrick in a bid to honour the world’s most popular saint.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by millions of people globally on 17 March and this year Bushmills® Irish Whiskey has released a compelling toast to give people a different way to celebrate the true spirit of St. Patrick.

The ‘Bushmills Toast’ is inspired by the ancient ritual of honouring someone with a drink and is the first official toast in the brand’s 400 years of distilling history. The toast gives people a true way to honour the legacy of St. Patrick, a man who lived in County Antrim where Bushmills Irish whiskey is also distilled.

The toast has been brought to life through a 40 second emotive video voiced by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery, who’s singular sound has racked up over 65 million plays on Spotify. A frenetic montage of bold imagery contextualising modern Ireland is juxtaposed by the voice of Lavery who is set to release his third studio album and embark on a tour of Europe, the UK, US, Ireland and Canada later this year.

Ciaran Lavery said: “I come from County Antrim where the Old Bushmills Distillery is located so it’s a real honour to provide the voice for the first official toast in the history of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. I‘ve been fortunate enough to have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in many countries whilst touring, but time and time again it’s all about Irish folklore and the colour green, rather than St. Patrick the man. I approach my music with great honesty so it’s refreshing to see this honesty at the heart of the new ‘Bushmills toast’, which perfectly captures the modern attitude towards our patron saint.”

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at Bushmills Irish Whiskey, adds: “At the Old Bushmills Distillery we’ve always done things our own way and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is no different. We pride ourselves on our unwavering character – doing what’s right rather than what’s popular and the new ‘Bushmills toast’ captures our ethos by creating a moment to celebrate the true spirit of St. Patrick.”

To watch the ‘Bushmills Toast’ and have your own Bushmills moment on St. Patrick’s Day, visit https://youtu.be/WA-1vWwpbzk

The Bushmills Toast

THIS IS FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO STAY THE SAME

AMONGST THE FACE OF CHANGE.

WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SWAYS ONE WAY

THEY STRAY AGAINST THE GRAIN.

THERE’S LEVELS TO THIS MALTY STORY

IDEAS DISTILLED THROUGH GENERATIONS

A LEGACY OF CRAFT AND SKILL

THAT FUELS THESE CELEBRATIONS.

THIS IS TO THE HEALTH

OF THOSE WITH THE SPIRIT OF ST. PATRICK HIMSELF

WHOSE STORY’S WRITTEN ON THE ROCKS OF THE NORTH COAST SHORE

A DIFFERENT KIND OF IRISH, WHO LIVE BY ‘LESS IS MORE.’

SO HERE’S TO THE WILD AND HERE’S TO THE FREE

HERE’S TO YOU AND HERE’S TO ME

HERE’S TO THOSE WHO QUIETLY DO

THIS BUSHMILLS MOMENT GOES TO YOU.

About Ciaran Lavery

Coming from the tiny village of Aghagallon in County Antrim, Ciaran Lavery has racked up an impressive 65 Million plays on Spotify to date. He released his debut album “Not Nearly Dark” in 2013 , the “Kosher” EP in 2014, his second studio album “Let Bad In” in May 2016, a Spotify live session recorded at SXSW 2016 was released in August 2016 and he releases a live album, “Live at The Mac”, in December 2016. In 2016, he won the coveted Northern Ireland Music Prize and he is fast becoming one of Ireland’s most in demand exports. Ciaran has appeared on German radio and television, Spotify television in USA and was selected to play at Willie Nelson’s BBQ at Luck Ranch in Texas by the man himself. In 2017 Lavery is set to release his third studio album with his biggest tour to date taking in most of Europe, the UK, US, Ireland and Canada. Visit www.ciaranlaverymusic.com/ for more information.

About Bushmills® Irish Whiskey

Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is crafted in small batches at The Old Bushmills Distillery – Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery – at Bushmills, Country Antrim, Northern Ireland. The brand portfolio includes a range of quality blended and fine Single Malts. Bushmills is the only distillery in Ireland to make triple-distilled malt whiskey. This is at the heart of all Bushmills® Irish Whiskey and creates a unique combination of smoothness and richness. Within Ireland, Bushmills Irish Whiskey is the only distiller to produce both blended and single malt whiskeys.