Dublin-based Teeling has partnered with London’s Umbrella Brewing to create what is thought to be the first Irish whiskey finished in ginger beer casks.
The collaboration saw Teeling and the London-based brewery and cidery create two products: Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey and Teeling Whiskey finished Umbrella London Ginger Beer.
The partnership between the two producers came from a “shared passion for local and traditionally inspired, contemporary products which push boundaries”.
Teeling master distiller Alex Chasko hand selected casks of ginger beer from Umbrella Brewing to create the Irish whiskey.
Each cask was used to marry Teeling’s Small Batch whiskey, resulting in flavours of ginger, rich molasses and subtle hints of malt, and a finish with a hint of lasting spice. The 46% ABV whiskey is non-chill-filtered.
The whiskey-finished ginger beer was created by resting 500 litres of ginger beer in two former Bourbon hogshead barrels from Teeling for two years, before the liquid was carbonated and canned.
The barrels were then shipped back to the Teeling Distillery in Dublin to be refilled with Teeling Whiskey and rested for nine months to create the Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey.
Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey is priced at RRP £45 (US$58), while the whiskey-finished ginger beer has an RRP of £30 (US$39) for an eight-pack of 330ml bottles or a pack of 24 for £85 (US$110).
A gift set has also been created, featuring a bottle of whiskey, two cans of whiskey-finished ginger beer, Umbrella’s core alcoholic ginger beer and two tumblers with coasters from The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green. The gift set is priced at RRP £80 (US$104).