Irish rugby stars Dan and Adam Leavy launch whiskey brand

Because what is a sports star without their own whiskey?

If you pride yourself on always having the latest Irish whiskey sitting in your drinks cupboard, there's a new bottle to set your sights on.

Rugby stars Dan and Adam Leavy have just launched Ogham Whiskey, a spirit they've developed alongside their dad Donal and friend Doug Leddin.

The idea was birthed four years ago when the Leavy brothers looked into developing a distillery on their family farm in Mullingar, Westmeath.

Following Dan's retirement from professional rugby in 2022 the pair got serious about the idea, investing in equipment and enlisting the expertise of industry veteran Doug Leddin.

The whiskey takes its name from the ancient Irish alphabet. 

Ogham Whiskey’s first release is a 7 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey which was laid down by Great Northern Distillery and finished in a Madeira cask. The company have said that the whiskey will be released in a series of small batches for the first few years, in order "to build a brand name and reputation."

Among the finer details of the bottle is a 7-year age statement to reflect Dan’s number when he played for Ireland and Leinster and Adam’s time with the Ireland 7s team.

In addition, the back of the bottle is adorned with the ogham spelling of DL which are the initials of three of the four founders while the words “Pure”, “Family”, “Éire” and "Pride" also feature.

If Succession was set in South Dublin. Image via Instagram/Dan Leavy 

Speaking about the new venture, Dan said: “This really is a culmination of a dream that has been fueled by our passion for Irish whiskey and strong desire to create something unique and reflective of all those involved. It’s been a long road, with plenty of ups and downs, but we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve created.”

Priced at €75 (RRP) per 500ml bottle, Ogham Irish Whiskey from May 18th via the Ogham website.

Header image via Instagram/Dan Leavy 

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