“THE Pogues offer a perfect partnership,” said John O’Connell, co-founder of West Cork Distillers, launching a new whiskey brand in conjunction with the London-Irish band in the capital last night.
"They share many of the same values as our company such as an independent spirit, a slightly unorthodox approach and a commitment to quality, as well as success on the international stage."
Of course, the other thing the Pogues share with the distillers is an interest in whiskey.
They've even written songs about the old electric soup, the hard stuff, the water of life, the rare ould mountain dew.
The new whiskey, launched at the Boogaloo bar, is a blend of grain and 50 per cent single malt Irish whiskey making it Ireland’s highest malt-containing blended Irish whiskey — something that The Pogues will undoubtedly approve of.
The new whiskey is a collaboration between two of the world’s most renowned distillers, Barry Walsh and Frank McHardy.
The blend has an aroma of malt, cracked nuts, almond and a slight sweetness and its smooth intensity delivers a palate that is malty and floral with a mild chocolate taste and lingering citrus.
It’s targeted at a younger target audience of 25 to 35-year-olds, with a bottle selling for around £30.
Commenting on the partnership, The Pogues said: “It’s been brilliant working with such experts to come up with a whiskey that we all think reflects our spirit and that we all like the taste of.
"It’s wonderful to add to the ranks of great Irish whiskeys and we hope it stands the test of time.”
In the great history of whiskies we’ve had brands named after leaders such as Michael Collins, the odd outlaw like Rob Roy, many placenames both Scottish and Irish from Bushmills to Jura, whiskey makers such as Henry McKenna.
But the new Pogues label appears to be the first time a brand has been named after an entire band.
The fact that they’ve even sung about the product seems to make them an obvious choice.