Blackwater Barrys Tea Gin flies off shelves and into Christmas Stockings

Anyone who has lived in Ireland for any length of time will know the hold which tea has on the Irish psyche – any ill can be cured by a nice cup of tea and a chat. Whether you put the tea or the milk in first is as much of a conversation starter as which of Ireland’s two major tea brands is your favourite. When you are from Cork like us, you are a little bit biased and would have to say it is Barry’s Tea! A family business like Bradley’s, Barry’s has been a Cork fixture since 1901, blending the finest of teas gaining them a favoured position on the shelves of Bradley’s and in the heart of many Cork and Irish expats all over the world. The cup of tea is that “golden moment” which makes each day special. With a cup of tea, someone can reconnect with themselves after a busy day, connect with family and friends or enjoy a flavour which brings back treasured memories.

Taking the Time
Anyone who has visited Bradley’s on North Main Street in the historic heart of Cork’s city centre will have seen that we stock more than Barry’s Tea. We are the city’s go-to destination for Irish artisan food and have one of the finest selections of craft beers, wines and spirits from the finest producers around Ireland and beyond. We pride ourselves stocking limited edition and hard to obtain beers, whiskeys (and whiskys!) and gins. Gin is enjoying a bit of a revival at the moment. Many premium gin brands are appearing around Ireland, with the Southwest of Ireland being a particular hotspot for fine craft gins. The gins of the Blackwater Distillery of Cappoquin, Co. Waterford are made with a special care and attention to detail, making them a favourite of many gin connoisseurs around Ireland. Just as you would take time to enjoy a “golden moment” with a cup of Barry’s Tea by leaving a tea bag to steep for “just the right time”, our friends at the Blackwater Distillery believe in taking their time to produce the perfect gin for you to enjoy. Like Blackwater and Barry’s, we believe that taking the time to source the right products for our customers is important, which is why we were so excited to hear that Blackwater and Barry’s Tea were coming together to make a limited-edition gin. We expected it to do well.

Barry’s Tea and Gin – perfect together
It was great to see two such iconic products coming together in one bottle. The unique flavour of Barry’s tea goes well with the comforting and warming Winter flavours of cinnamon cardamon, and lemon. Once you add some juniper to the mix, you have the ingredients for an Irish gin sensation with the golden colour of a cup of Barry’s finest Classic Blend tea (which incidentally you can also get in Bradley’s!). We knew that the limited-edition Blackwater Barry’s Tea Gin would do well, but we were flabbergasted by how well it did. It caused an absolute sensation in Ireland, being talked about on radio stations, trade publications and online outlets. We posted about it on our Facebook page once we received our supply of 15 bottles on a Thursday evening and by Saturday, half of these were already gone. The Facebook post was getting so much traction amongst our community that we were expecting a queue of people outside the shop to get the bottles which were left! “G&Tea” lovers all around Ireland snapped up the limited-edition bottles within a week. Knowing how big this product was with our customers, we sourced another batch of Barry’s Tea Gin. We are sure that this is safe and sound in some Christmas stockings already! We would love to have one left to put under our Christmas tree this year, but as there is so much interest, it looks like we are going to be disappointed!

Christmas Shopping
If we have tickled your interest, this could be your Christmas shopping done before the start of December, leaving you more time to enjoy a stress-free visit to the Christmas markets, or if you are in Cork, a trip on the
FERRIS WHEEL, which is making it’s much-anticipated return to Cork’s skyline. A trip on the Ferris Wheel will give you panoramic views over the skyline of Ireland’s Southern Capital and gateway to the best artisan food and drink in Ireland. You don’t have to stray too far though – you can go on a taste journey once you come through the doors of our store on North Main Street in Cork. Happy Christmas from all at Bradley’s!