Kirker gifts 25YO Irish whiskey to Joe Biden

Irish brand Kirker has created six bottles of a special edition 25-year-old blended whiskey, which were given to political figures ‘pivotal’ to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

US president Joe Biden and former president Bill Clinton were among those who arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, earlier the month for the Agreement Twenty Five conference (17-19 April), marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Kirker Shamrock Whiskey was created with a blend of whiskeys, aged for 25 years, from the four provinces of Ireland, bringing blending black to Belfast for the first time in 70 years.

The blend symbolises ‘the political progress enabled by the agreement’, the brand claims.

Six versions of an exclusive expression were produced to bestow upon the leaders ‘pivotal’ in the Good Friday Agreement, including Biden, Clinton, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, special envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy, former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, and former senator George Mitchell.

Kirker Irish whiskey founder Richard Ryan commented: “This is a monumental occasion in Northern Ireland and it made sense as a Belfast-based blending company to celebrate this 25th anniversary with our own unique release of a 25-year-old blended malt Irish whiskey.”

Named ‘The Spirit of Agreement,’ the whiskeys were rested in Bourbon, Port, oloroso Sherry and Marsala casks. The Spirit of Agreement whiskey is presented in a bespoke wooden box.

Ryan added: “We’re proud that our whiskey emulates the principles of the Good Friday Agreement – each expression has its own history but together they harmonise to create something even more wonderful.”

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998 and brought an end to three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.