The Comeback

The year is 1776.

Two brothers, John and James, from Northern Ireland begin to produce a whisky celebrated for its exceptional smoothness and taste: J. & J. McConnell. McConnell’s quickly becomes the toast of Belfast, shipped to all corners of the globe, helping to establish Irish whisky as the most popular drink in the world. The McConnell’s distillery was right on the banks of River Lagan, a sprawling, buzzing compound dedicated to one pursuit: producing the finest whisky in all of Ireland. Then on one fateful day in 1909, 500,000 gallons of McConnell’s whisky went up in flames and by the time it was over, half the distillery lay in ruins. This would have been the end for most whiskies. But not McConnell’s. They began to rebuild. Before long, they were back on top of the Irish whisky world. But then calamity struck again. This time it wasn’t a fire – it was Prohibition, which outlawed the sale of liquor in America. America was the biggest market for Irish whisky, and suddenly it was gone. Ninety percent of Irish whiskies went under as a result of Prohibition, including McConnell’s. 

That is, until today. McConnell’s has launched its comeback. J. & J. McConnell. The oldest whisky brand in Northern Ireland, reborn after 90 years. It is, quite simply, the greatest comeback in the history of whisky. Take one sip and you’ll see why you can’t keep a great whisky down.