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Buongiorno Milano!

4.05am The usual alarm should slowly awake me from my slumber, but not this one, its January, and for Walsh Whiskey Distillery it’s a new year, first up best dressed, and all that jazz, on my way to Italy. But OH MY GOD!!…is that the time already?!

It’s a great feeling to be up early preparing not just for the day ahead but a momentous year for all at Walsh Whiskey Distillery. I really get a kick out of January… many people use this month as a chance to cleanse the body of those Christmas excesses, for me it is a chance to reboot the business as much as the body. It’s a chance to start afresh, building on last year for sure, but the sales clock winds back to zero and, with our distillery at Royal Oak nearing completion, it’s a chance to bring Walsh Whiskey Distillery to a new level. What new expressions can we bring to market in 2016 for The Irishman and Writers Tears? In what new territories can we spread the gospel of uisce beatha (Irish for the water of life)?

Suited and booted, I arrive at Dublin airport by 5.30am. While Ireland sleeps on, I feel buzzed, my bags are packed with The Irishman and Writers Tears and I am ready to do the business in Milan. I am off to Illva, our partners and distributors for The Irishman and Writers Tears in Italy.  Milano, home of all the great Italian designers and design is so evident in every part of Milanese daily life.

Italy is a very big single malt whiskey market for Scotland, but for Ireland… well after the 20^th century slump, Irish whiskey has not made much headway – yet! We intend to gradually change that together with Illva. Led by Augusto Reina, Illva is a family drinks business of several hundred years standing and they are producers of, among other things, of one of the largest selling liqueurs in the world “Di Saronno” (a beautifully sweet almond liqueur). They are also significant players in the fast developing eastern countries of India and China. With access to Illva’s great distribution network we hope that, over time, The Irishman Single Malt will become the leading Irish Whiskey brand in Italy as well as farther afield.

There are many parallels between our two companies, most particularly we are both family businesses which makes for warmer environments than you typically find in multinationals. Another similarity are the views from our office windows. In Carlow I look onto the beautiful Blackstairs Mountains. Illva’s headquarters in Saronno, just outside Milano, has a stunning view of the snow capped Alps that are about an hour’s drive away. One-Nil Italia!!

There is something else about Illva’s office that gives me a lift every time I visit. Maybe it’s the beautiful art that adorns the walls, or is it the 10 metre long ceramic table depicting a typical Tuscan landscape, hills, trees and wineries…or is it the bar proudly displaying Di Saronno bottles signed by famous actors? Even our own Pierce Brosnan (aka James Bond) has his own bottle at the bar!

However, even with all this artistic and geographic inspiration, the thing that gives me the greatest pleasure on every trip is Maria Theresa’s cooking. She has been cooking for Mr Reina for longer than she might thank me for mentioning… but her cooking is just divine! Every day, like clockwork she serves ceramic dishes full of of succulent fresh salads, vegetables, cheeses, meats and other local delights in the dining room for all to enjoy. It’s the simple things that always get me.

The time passes swiftly and before I know it Antonio is waiting at the door and shouting at me in Italian. Jaysus is that the time?! Antonio is our local driver and his stories going back to Malpensa airport are very entertaining. Not that either of us understand each other, but with the odd smattering of English/ Italian and hand signals between us we always get something from our exchanged stories.

But now its time to leave the Alps and return to my own Blackstairs Mountains.

So its Ciao for now from ‘Bernardo’ – until I repeat the trip in a few months time.