The Cocktail Academy Lost Irish: The Tim Herlihy Interview
Sep 24, 2025
34:35
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian welcomes back Tim Herlihy, co-founder of Lost Irish Whiskey, storyteller, and longtime champion of Irish hospitality.
Tim’s journey is anything but ordinary — from working on his family’s egg farm in Termonfeckin, County Louth, to becoming U.S. Ambassador for Tullamore D.E.W., and now building a modern Irish whiskey brand that celebrates the global Irish diaspora.
In this episode we cover:
- The buzz of the Irish House takeover at Tales of the Cocktail and why it marked such a powerful moment for Ireland’s bartenders, brands, and hospitality.
- Tim’s leap from farming to whiskey through the Bord Bia Fellowship and his early work with Cooley Distillery.
- Nearly a decade with Tullamore D.E.W., helping the brand grow across the U.S. and beyond.
- The spark behind Lost Irish Whiskey — how the concept of the Irish diaspora became both the story and the liquid.
- Sourcing casks from six continents, blending challenges, and the unexpected flavours that shaped the final whiskey.
- Why bottle design details like grip, cork acoustics, and visibility on the back bar were crucial to the brand’s identity.
- Insights from co-authoring From Barley to Blarney with the Dead Rabbit team, and how it influenced Tim’s approach to storytelling.
- What makes Irish pubs such enduring cultural spaces — unpretentiousness, community, and conversation.
Tim also shares his quickfire takes:
- Banished forever: Aquafaba in cocktails.
- Favourite cocktail experience: Irish Coffees at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco.
- Best pint of Guinness in Ireland: The Palace Bar, Dublin.
- Best pint abroad: Graces Bar on 14th Street, New York City.
📩 To get in touch with Tim:
- Instagram: @lostirishtim
- Instagram (brand): @lostirishwhiskey
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📩 To get in touch with Damian: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram @welovecocktails
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