The Big Interview

Pat Rigney of The Shed distillery talks growing a gin brand and winning kudos from The Rock

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin may have Hollywood stars toasting its success, but the founder of The Shed Distillery is determined to stay humble and hungry

Pat Rigney of The Shed Distillery: ‘We're small, relatively speaking, we're local, but we want to be successful’. Picture: Barry Cronin

In November last year, Pat Rigney’s Leitrim distillery The Shed won a coveted international award and got a shout out from an unexpected admirer.

When Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin was awarded the International Spirit Brand of the Year at the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards, former professional wrestler and Hollywood star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sent a “big congratulations.”

“That’s a big one!” he tweeted to his 17 million followers. “I look forward to trying ...