Chapel Gate announces Californian distribution deal

Irish whiskey bonder The Chapel Gate Irish Whiskey Co has partnered with tech start-up Liberation Distribution (LibDib) to list its products in California.

JJ Corry The Gael will be available in California through Liberation Distribution

Chapel Gate is the first Irish whiskey company to partner with the American distributor, which was founded in 2016.

Chapel Gate founder, Louise McGuane, said: “Acquiring distribution in the USA through the traditional three-tier system is a long and arduous process. Distributor consolidation and producer proliferation in a growing category like Irish whiskey makes it even more difficult.

“In spite of that, California is one of the most important markets for Irish whiskey and we need to be seeding our brand there as soon as possible. LibDib provides a platform for us to do just that in a fully transparent way, they give us market access and we do the groundwork.

“I also personally happen to love that the company is run by a fellow female founder, still quite rare in the drinks industry.”

Liberation Distribution will market Chapel Gate’s JJ Corry, ‘The Gael’, which is made with 5% 26-year-old single malt, 27.5% 11-year-old single malt, 27.5% 15-year-old single malt and the remaining 40% is 7-year-old single grain whiskey.

The whiskey is bottled at 46% abv and carries an RRP of US$75.

LibDib founder, Cheryl Durzy Murphy, said: “Louise and I met right after LibDib launched in 2017. I have been following JJ Corry for over a year now and I am so pleased to have her whiskey on the platform and available to hundreds of restaurants, bars and restaurants throughout California.

“I look forward to working with Louise, importer Compass Point and their amazing Irish whiskey in the state and other markets as LibDib expands throughout the US.”

Earlier this year, SB caught up with McGuane, founder of the first modern whiskey bonder in Ireland.