Before founding J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey in 2015, Louise McGuane worked at LVMH, Diageo and Pernod Ricard in New York, London, Singapore and Paris. She is now based back on her family farm in Cooraclare, County Clare where she matures new make spirit in a purpose built bonded rackhouse and blends it with mature whiskey to create the brand’s signature style. Here, she speaks to Candice Tucker about the whiskey bonding process, the advantages of being a woman and the rising demand for Irish whiskey

Louise McGuane

1. What made you decide to focus on bonded whiskey rather than the native traditional processes?

Irish whiskey bonding is a native traditional process but it was one that was lost. It was once a vital part of the thriving Irish whiskey industry. Bonders were located in every town in Ireland and rather than distilling whiskey they sourced it from local distilleries and created bespoke bends and flavours for their customers. The practice died out due to the near collapse of the Irish whiskey industry in the early 1900s. We went from having hundreds of distilleries on the island to only two or three. These distilleries cut off the bonders and began to mature, blend and bottle themselves. I felt that my contribution to the rebirth of the industry was to bring back this lost art and when I discovered the J.J. Corry brand which was a well-known bonder in my county in the 1800s I decided to bring the lost art of whiskey bonding back!

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

2. Have you faced any challenges working in a field which has traditionally been male dominated?

Of course, my experiences will be shared by all women who work in such industries, but I think it’s very powerful to be underestimated. Irish whiskey continues to be a mostly older male environment and most of them scoffed at me when I started the business, but I went on to launch the first ever design led luxury Irish whiskey and this year made Drinks International Top Ten bestselling Irish Whiskey list, so who’s scoffing now? When you are underestimated you can fly under the radar and achieve incredible things without anybody standing in your way as you are not perceived as a threat.

3. How do you differentiate your bonded whiskey from others?

I have built and am continuing to build the most comprehensive library of flavours of Irish whiskey in my rackhouse. We operate in a similar way to a perfumer: we build a whiskey by blending layers of flavours together. By ensuring I have styles of whiskey from multiple craft producers I have a really vibrant pool of flavours to pull from. This results in utterly unique whiskies and styles.

The McGuane farm and rackhouse in County Clare

4. What trends have you noticed in the whiskey industry in the last 10 years?

Whiskey is having a moment, people are moving away from traditional scotch and bigger brands and are seeking out authenticity. Whiskey drinkers want to understand who makes the product they demand transparency and they are willing to try non- traditional flavours. Irish whiskey is no doubt the stand out in terms of growth in popularity, it is becoming incredibly collectible.

Read more: Sampling Cristal’s latest vintage

5. In 2019, you launched The Chosen, which at £7,000 a bottle is the most expensive Irish whiskey in history, and yet, it sold out in less than an hour. Why do you think it was so popular?

It was the first ever design led Irish whiskey. I worked with contemporary luxury crystal maker J. Hill Standard and luxury cabinet maker John Galvin and inside was a superlative 28-year-old Single Malt. Only 100 were crafted and their desirability I think centred around the craftsmanship that went into them and the emerging collectability of Irish whiskey.

6. Where is the most memorable place you have tasted whiskey?

It is without a doubt sitting on a 30-year-old Single Malt sherry cask that I sourced in the rackhouse I built myself on my farm to mature my whiskey, enveloped in the scent of whiskey maturing in casks I have travelled all over the world to find.

Find out more: jjcorry.com

As Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at Justerini & Brooks, Tod Bradbury works with both established connoisseurs and those exploring the category for the first time. Photograph by Gary Morrisroe

Tod Bradbury, Head of Rare and Collectable Whiskies at leading London wine and spirits merchant Justerini & Brooks recommends five prestige whiskies for LUX readers

For first-time drinkers: Johnnie Walker, Blue Label, Ghost & Rare, Glenury Royal Edition

Johnnie Walker is a name many are familiar with, and it’s a great starting point. This bottling is a limited-edition Blue Label featuring liquid from the now closed distillery, Glenury Royal. It’s the third in the ‘Ghost and Rare’ series, crafted using incredibly rare whiskies and won’t ever be repeated. A smooth, honeyed dram that will be sure to please.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

For whisky connoisseurs: Brora 40-Year-Old 200th Anniversary Limited Edition

Brora is one of those heralded ‘ghost’ distilleries. No longer producing whisky their stock is finite, which collectors love. In my mind, this bottling from 1978 is, to put it mildly, a magnificent whisky. Hailing from an era that has come to be known as Brora’s ‘golden age of peat,’ this is a whisky for any serious collector, and one that will never fail to impress.

Best value: Lagavulin, 12-Year-Old, Islay, 2019 Release

If you have had Lagavulin before, you will be sure to remember it. It’s a smoky, peaty, heady whisky. Usually matured for a minimum of 16 years, this bottling is a classic stripped-down ‘acoustic’ Lagavulin. At 12 years old, it is pure in style with a wonderful freshness. This is a Lagavulin purist’s dream; wonderfully simple, and all the better for it, without the usual price tags that Lagavulin can command.

Read more: Behind the wheel of the world’s most powerful supercars part one

To give as a gift: Johnnie Walker, Blue Label, Ghost & Rare, Port Ellen Edition

The second in the series of the ‘Ghost and Rare’ bottlings from Johnnie Walker. This one is very special. Including liquid from Port Ellen, the revered and now silent Islay distillery. It makes a very impressive gift. Port Ellen is some of the most sought-after liquid for my customers and there is a good reason for it. This is a fantastic way to enjoy a little piece of whisky history.

For special occasions: Mortlach, 26-Year-Old, Speyside, 2019 Release

Mortlach is one of those distilleries that everyone should try. Known as ‘the Beast of Dufftown,’ this Speyside dram is magnificent in every way. At 26 years-old it is an epic, perfectly matured Mortlach of exceptional quality from first-fill Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso seasoned casks. Best enjoyed as it is, or with a dash of water. It will certainly go down well at a special occasion.

Led by Tod Bradbury, Justerini & Brooks’ team of whisky experts can help source whiskies from lost or ghost distilleries as well as limited editions, rare cask finishes, and limited or single cask bottling. For more information visit: justerinis.com

Bethany Williams is one of the emerging designers stocked at concept store, 50m in Belgravia

With a gimlet eye for the latest and newest, LUX’s Cool Hunter and Digital Editor Millie Walton reveals what is grabbing her attention this season

50m

Experimental isn’t a term one associates with London’s upmarket Belgravia, but that’s where you’ll find the new concept store 50m (so-called after the 50 metres of clothes rail that runs along the inside walls). Created by artist collective Something & Son to support new design talent and tackle high shop rents, the store functions as a space for emerging designers to showcase and sell their work at a more affordable cost. The designers also receive mentorship from leading figures in the industry. Paul Smyth, co-founder of Something & Son, says its aim is to “create a store where people don’t simply consume stuff, but can meet designers, hang out with friends, cooperate and collaborate”. Find the likes of menswear designer Bethany Williams and jewellery studio RÄTHEL & WOLF.

50-m.com

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

Comic-strip meets pop-art graffiti by Lithuanian artist and illustrator Egle Zvirblyte

Egle Zvirblyte

Lithuanian artist and illustrator Egle Zvirblyte describes her work as a “bright, juicy, punch-yourface explosion with existential undertones”. The aesthetic is comic-strip meets pop-art graffiti, bursting with colour, humour and movement. Look through the artist’s portfolio and you’ll see the same characters often reoccur as if it’s all one big story with the next chapter spontaneously popping up in unusual places. Earlier this year, Egle created six huge installation works for Inis Oírr (a small island off Ireland’s west coast) as part of the Drop Everything annual contemporary cultural biennale, and she’s currently planning “a collaborative wall in London” with typographer Oli Frape. Keep your eyes peeled for larger-than-life, eccentric-looking characters dressed in 1980s fashion, cigarette-smoking tigers and bananas in shades and high heels. It will be hard to miss.

eglezvirblyte.com

Petra Lilja Design Studio specialises in concept design

Petra Lilja Design Studio

The Swedish studio led by designer Petra Lilja specialises in concept design, curatorial work and exhibition design, with a strong focus on sustainability. For a recent project around the themes of ‘utopia’ and ‘dystopia’, Petra sourced material while ‘plogging’ (walking or jogging and picking up plastic rubbish). “It’s amazing how little we value a material that takes thousands of years to disintegrate,” commented the designer. The studio often collaborates with other designers to create intriguing objects such as the Rephrasals project with Aalto+Aalto, which explored the possibilities and expressions found through a method of associations and chance.

petralilja.com

Alternative fashion photographs from “Posturing”

Read more: Art auctioneer Simon de Pury on modern philanthropy

Posturing

Posturing is a fashion photography book with a twist – or several. Dreamt up by fashion curator Shonagh Marshall and Wallpaper* photo editor Holly Hay, it celebrates the body as a sculpture in contemporary fashion photography. The images are aesthetically intriguing, with a focus on the shapes created by limbs rather than the garments the models wear, and are accompanied by a series of interviews discussing the current state of the fashion industry. “I noticed a shift in the way contemporary fashion photographers were positioning the body,” says Shonagh. “There was a move away from the glamourised, sexualised body of the celebrity-driven 2000s.” Welcome a new age of perception.

shop.selfpublishbehappy.com/product/posturing

Annie Hockeysmith is sometimes described as ‘Kylie Minogue on acid’

Hockeysmith

Hockeysmith’s music is the very definition of heady: a blend of woozy electronic beats, unorthodox rhythms and smudgy vocals. Based in Cornwall, Hockeysmith (AKA Annie Hockeysmith) takes inspiration from the arcane landscapes, occult folklore and local rave scene to create a breed of darkly textured electronic pop that’s impossible not to dance to. You feel like you’re throwing yourself across a strobing dance floor even if you’re lying on your bed at home. Sound frightening? It is a little, but it’s also a lot of fun – and has been described as ‘Kylie Minogue on acid’. I’m currently obsessed with the track Go Baack.

facebook.com/hockeysmithband

This article originally appeared in The Beauty Issue, to see more content click here.