Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series

What happens when Ireland’s most creative minds mingle with Ireland’s most beloved brand? We look at the results of the Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series…

The whiskey company brought together four of Ireland’s leading crafters in the Jameson Distillery in Midelton, County Cork to witness the master cooper, Ger Buckley, create one of the iconic Jameson barrels. These hand-crafted flamed charred black barrels are iconic and form an integral part of the distilling process and have been finessed over the past two centuries. Ger himself is a fifth generation cooper. The crafters were then invited to draw inspiration from the whole process and to create their own interpretation. These collobarations resulted in the following artists coming together to honour their artistic traditions, as well as host a few parties in Mabo’s Warehouse last Autumn and throughout the Spring where whiskey flowed and creativity flourished.

Garvan de Bruir, known for his eclectic workings with leather, created a bespoke black leather aporn.

James Carroll, who goes by the moniker The Stick Man, worked from his Wicklow Mountains studio to fashion a piece of furniture. Carroll took the staves of a charred barrel to make a trestle table.

Mamukko, two Kinsale-based brothers who specialise in up-cycling sailing materials to fashion apparel, produced a whiskey holster bag from recycled sails and brown leather.

Dublin-based Bluefingers, Ronan Dillon and Peter O?Gara, teamed up with James Kirwan and Hanna Hats of Donegal to deliver a Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel flat cap. Which they even smoked with chippings…

Jeanne Sutton @jeannedesutun