…and what Makes a Properly Improper Gin?

Is there a certain cosmic balance of aromatics and botanicals that transports you to just approximately heaven? And who decides what makes this or that a proper gin?

We, at Brockmans, are the standard bearers and descendants of a long line of gins that stretches back to time immemorial. And while we respect and honour the traditions that have led us to this time and place, we steadfastly refuse to be beholden to outdated notions of what is and is not a gin

What if the perfect gin just happened to be the properly improper gin.

Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd 

Established in 1867, Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd is Ireland’s leading distributor of premium spirits, champagnes, and wines. Owned by globally renowned companies Moët Hennessy, Bacardi-Martini, and Brown-Forman, we proudly bring an exceptional portfolio of iconic and trusted brands to the Irish bar industry. These include Hennessy, Bacardi, Jack Daniel’s, Bombay Sapphire and Moët & Chandon, among others. 

For over 150 years, we have worked alongside bars and venues across Ireland, offering not just premium products but also tailored support and expertise. Our goal is to help our partners adapt to the evolving needs of their customers, ensuring they can deliver unique and memorable experiences. As supporters of the 2025 Bar of the Year Awards, we are honoured to celebrate the remarkable talent and dedication that make the Irish hospitality industry so exceptional.

Excel is an award-winning and leading recruitment agency which holds a database of over 1,000 clients, 85,000 candidates and a team of over 80 expert recruiters. With five offices located in Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Galway and Belfast, Excel has rapidly become the largest hospitality recruitment firm in Ireland.

Operating in the areas of both temporary and permanent employment, we can recruit chefs, bar, and waiting staff nationwide. Our team of highly skilled consultants have a wealth of experience from years of working in a variety of diverse hospitality professions. All of our recruiters come from the industries in which they specialise, and we conduct a number of hospitality upskilling courses which are available through our sister companies Future Proof Training and the Irish Barista Academy.

These courses provide the highest level of in-depth training based on decades of experience in the hospitality sector. Our professional service team can hire & train your staff to the highest standards based on the needs and style of your establishment. The success of our company is a reflection of the quality and capability of our people and how they adapt to our clients ever-changing needs. Ultimately, Our role is to help you excel.

Introducing the London Essence Company, a collection of exquisite mixers from distilled botanical essences.
At the London Essence Company, we continue a tradition established towards the end of the 19th century. Inspired by our predecessors, we are specialists in the art and alchemy of taste. Distilling the true flavour of fine fruits and botanicals, we carefully calibrate mixers of rare quality. Each contains a distilled botanical essence delivering aromatic signature notes. Acknowledging our secondary, supporting role, we aim to flatter the all-important spirit. To celebrate the complexity of premium spirits, our range of mixers is designed to bring out the best in particular gins, vodkas and dark spirits. In this way, we spark the sense of occasion when spirits and mixers – and people – come together.
We select the finest botanicals and gently distill them to capture their true essence, and so create drinks with the purest flavours. This enables us to craft an elegant collection, always light in sugar and low in calories, enabling premium spirits to shine through. A breadth of range designed with champagne style bubbles, to entice the palate and deliver versatility in drinks creation.

Quietly distilled in West Cork, Mad March Hare Irish Poitín is part of a national revival of Poitín as an emerging, modern, innovative and vibrant category, led by independent Irish producers.
From a dusty bottle found at the back of most Irish cupboards, to a premium, highly awarded
product that bartenders all over the world love to experiment with, poitín is now a respected craft
spirit. Triple distilled in small copper pot stills using only the finest, locally sourced
malted barley, Mad March Hare is bottled at 40%, resulting in a drink that is full of character and
exceptionally smooth. Launched in 2014, Mad March Hare has won Best Irish
Poitín at the Irish Whiskey Awards, Best of Class: Poitín and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022. It is now the number one poitín brand in both Ireland and the United States.

The Number 1 Bestselling American Whiskey Brand in Drinks International Annual Brands Report 2023

This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, Sr., simply wanted a whisky he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker’s Mark® is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that’s easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time. Each and every bottle of Maker’s® is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Ky., just like Bill, Sr., would have wanted.

The Musgrave MarketPlace On-Trade beverage team was formed in 2021 in response to customer demand for a one-stop-shop for all their On-Trade needs.  The company has invested in additional resources across the business to service On-Trade customers.  From Beer, Premium Spirits, and an exclusive On Trade Wine range, to Soft Drinks, Equipment, and Snacks; we are making business easier by having everything in one place. Offering support on industry trends like cocktails and premiumisation, as well as advice and expertise, our highly experienced team has over 300 years combined experience in the on-trade.

The company has invested in new trucks and recruited drivers across its nationwide branch network to form part of the dedicated team to service on-trade customers. For their convenience, Musgrave MarketPlace customers can also shop via click and collect or get a top up shop using their account in their local Musgrave MarketPlace branch, which is open 7 days a week.

One of the teams’ areas of expertise is Wine, with Wine Specialist Conor O’Brien on hand to support customers. The team are passionate about working with customers, and we will work closely with you to create a tailored solution to grow your wine business, and can provide one-on-one wine tasting sessions, wine menu development and training for staff.

Poachers Drinks is Irelands only premium drinks and luxury soda company. Founded in 2017, Poachers entire range is made, mixed and bottled in Country Waterford, Ireland.

Our flavour focused, all natural drinks are inspired by a simple love of Irish ingredients and the culture and people that produce them. They are created from a desire to blend and incorporate unique Irish ingredients into our favourite long drinks and cocktails in a sustainable way.

Our modern Irish collection is made with imagination, skill and finesse, always drawing on our love for nature and the land.  And always with a little fun.

The Poachers 200ml glass bottle range includes: Classic Irish Tonic, Light Tonic with Irish Rosemary, Wild Tonic with Irish Elderflower, Citrus Tonic with Irish Rosemary, Ginger Beer with Irish Chilli and Ginger Ale with Irish Apple. And new to the range are our delicious new luxury sodas including: Grapefruit Soda with Achill Island Sea Salt and Lemon Soda with farm grown mint.

Bíodh oíche iontach againn uilig ag Poachers Drinks.  Sláinte.

Roe & Co is a new premium Blended Irish Whiskey, named in honour of George Roe, a true pioneer of Irish Whiskey. Refined, elegant, and with remarkable depth, a masterful blend of rich malt whiskey and the smoothest of grain whiskey aged in bourbon casks.

Schweppes was founded in 1783 by Jacob Schweppes. He invented the first ever
process of capturing bubbles, and from this carbonation system, Schweppes Soda water
was born – the world’s first ever soft drink.

Thanks to Jacob we have been enjoying the superior taste of Schweppes mixers for over
200 years and is the No1 branded mixer in Ireland enjoyed with and without alcohol.
With consumers increasingly looking for flavoured mixer options, which deliver on taste
and fizz, Schweppes has the perfect range to meet this demand. The Schweppes 200ml
range is available in Tonic Water, Slimline Tonic Water, Elderflower Slimline Tonic Water,
Soda Water, Pink Soda Water, Ginger Ale & Lemonade.

*Simplí Pay & Simplí Finance: Driving Growth for Ireland’s Hospitality Sector*

Founded by SME specialist Gary Grimes, Simplí is committed to empowering Irish businesses with the financial and payment tools they need to thrive. Through two divisions—Simplí Pay and Simplí Finance—we focus on the unique needs of hospitality and retail establishments.

*Simplí Pay* streamlines payment processes for bars, restaurants, and venues, optimizing transaction costs to increase profitability. By reducing payment fees, we enable hospitality businesses to control costs, maximize revenue, and invest back into exceptional customer experiences.

*Simplí Finance* simplifies access to working capital and business loans, providing a bridge between hospitality owners and the funding they need to grow. With expertise in navigating Ireland’s lending landscape, we help businesses secure finance, supporting expansion and resilience in today’s dynamic market.

At Simplí, we’re passionate about fueling growth for Ireland’s hospitality industry—one solution at a time.

Sky is the leading provider of entertainment and communication services which is built on over 30 years of market transformation and innovation.

Sky Business is the business-to-business division of Sky, providing a wide variety of commercial premises across the UK and ROI, by connecting and entertaining millions of people every day – from unmissable live sport, unrivalled entertainment and breaking news, to the best drama and comedy, documentaries and films.

Founded in 1702 in Kilkenny and at its height in the late 1800’s Sullivan’s was exporting to USA, Australia, and across Europe. Having fallen on troubled times in 1918 due to a sizeable lost horse bet in Douville France, the brewery & trademarks were acquired by James Smithwick in 1919, the brand being dormant ever since.

Tequila Rose is the original strawberry cream liqueur. Combining tequila with strawberry cream was a bold innovation, the first drink of its kind to pair cream with anything other than Irish whiskey. Exotic and delicious. Over twenty years later, Tequila Rose remains the world’s best-selling strawberry cream liqueur and was the inspiration that paved the way for the unique cream liqueurs that have followed. Tequila Rose is a silky smooth pairing of rich strawberry cream and the thrilling bite of tequila. It hits the perfect note every time, whether you prefer sweet or seductive. Fearless or fun. Lush or light-hearted. With its elegant design and playful details, Tequila Rose is the “little black dress” of cream liqueurs. Bold black glass keeps the light out to ensure the freshness and the flavour, while shimmery silver roses and bright pink strawberries make this bottle shine on the shelf. It’s a timeless and alluring classic.