JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY EXPANDS ITS BARTENDER ADVOCACY PROGRAMME, JAMESON HOSTS,

TO SUPPORT GLOBAL BAR COMMUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES 

The world’s favourite Irish whiskey has launched an online platform to support, inspire and engage the international bar community through an unprecedented period of uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus outbreak.

The culmination of more than three decades of pioneering bartender advocacy, Jameson Hosts, Jameson’s trade engagement platform, has launched an online space where the bar community can come together to connect, learn and share in the wake of the pandemic. As bars, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs across the globe have been forced to close their doors, Jameson Hosts provides a space for members of the bar trade to receive wellbeing support, enhance their technical knowledge and collaborate from the comfort of their home through video content.

The newly launched Jameson platform follows a $500,000 financial donation from the Irish whiskey brand to the United States Bartenders’ Guild which supports on-trade members affected by Coronavirus. Through Jameson Hosts, Jameson will also widen its practical support of the industry by offering financial compensation to those creating videos for the platform.

The online videos will cover a range of topics designed to educate and inspire the bar community including cocktail masterclasses, wellbeing sessions, career coaching and whiskey tutorials. It will also feature advice from bar teams around the globe which are pulling together to adapt to the current challenges and better equip themselves for the future when businesses reopen.

Beyond the virtual platform, Jameson Hosts will shortly announce a live event in late 2020 or early 2021 where the extensive global bar community, including bartenders, bar owners, brewers, waiters and more, will be invited to take part in a three-day festival at Midleton Distillery, the home of Jameson. Much like its online counterpart, the festival will invite attendees to host their own workshops to share their knowledge and expertise with fellow participants and inspire new ideas among the community. The festival will also offer visiting ‘hosts’ a chance to immerse themselves in the production of Jameson Irish Whiskey with exclusive access to the Old Midleton Distillery and Blending Lab at Midleton.

Brendan Buckley, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, says: “The global bar community has dedicated its life and career to the service of others.  Now, more than ever, this community needs a new place to come together and share inspiring stories, real-world guidance and encouraging words to help each other overcome the challenges they face today and those that lie ahead.

“We hope this will offer both practical and emotional support through this challenging time and we very much look forward to celebrating with all our hosts at Midleton soon.”

Join the Jameson Hosts community by heading to:

Instagram: @jamesonhosts

Notes: 

About Irish Distillers 

Irish Distillers is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of spirits and wines, and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 8m cases in 2019. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 70 of those experiencing double or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €400 million to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation’s Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.