This will be the second Three Drinkers TV series for Smith and Nicklin, who also produce the ‘Bring a Bottle’ podcast and run thethreedrinkers.com, an online magazine focused on drink, travel and lifestyle.
Whiskey isn’t the only beverage explored by the new series – the drinkers try everything from cider to poitín. In episode 3, however, it's Irish Distillers in Midleton that plays host to Smith, Nicklin and their drinker guest, wine consultant Beth Brickenden.
In the episode, Nicklin visits Old Midleton Distillery – built in 1825 and now home to the Jameson Distillery visitor experience – to interview fifth-generation master cooper Ger Buckley about Irish Distillers’ heritage. Meanwhile, distiller Katherine Condon walks Smith and Brickenden through New Midleton Distillery, where such well-known Irish whiskeys as Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers and the Spot Range have been produced since 1975.
Finally, at Tourin House, home of the Jameson sisters, master distiller Kevin O’Gorman and Kristin Jameson relay the story and significance of the 1966 meeting which brought Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers together to begin a new chapter.
Discussing the programme, distiller Katherine Condon said, “Working alongside The Three Drinkers to bring this project to life has been a wonderful experience. Irish Distillers has a long and diverse history intrinsically linked to Ireland and its people and it’s been a joy to rediscover some of those stories as we’ve filmed.”
Presenter Helena Nicklin added, “We’ve loved bringing everything together for this new series from the food and drink to the people, places, culture and tourism of the whole of the island of Ireland. We’ve been blown away by the sheer quality of Irish produce too – it really is world class. Ireland is also the perfect country to visit as the world opens up again…”
The first Three Drinkers series, ‘The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky’, aired on Amazon Prime in 2019 and is still streaming in over 170 countries. The new series will be available to watch on Amazon Prime from February 2022.