The Irishman Movie – Walsh Whiskey Director’s Cut!
What have Movie Director Martin Scorsese and Irish Whiskey Company Director Bernard Walsh, Director of Walsh Whiskey got in common?
Well, both are “Directors” and both have delivered projects under The Irishman name.
Bernard is the creator of The Irishman Irish Whiskey brand which is the Walsh family’s original whiskey. Bernard’s love and dedication to reviving old whiskey recipes of the 19th Century forged The Irishman Founder’s Reserve and then the development of the award-winning range of nine whiskeys, including five core expressions (The Irishman – Founder’s Reserve; Single Malt; 12 Year Old Single Malt; 17 Year Old Single Malt & the Vintage Cask). These tripled-distilled whiskeys include several Single Malt expressions and some very limited special cask finishes.
So when Bernard learnt of Scorceses’s The Irishman Movie which will be released tomorrow (Friday 27 September) at the New York Film Festival, he decided to direct his own little movie short in lighthearted homage. Here’s Bernard’s own The Irishman Movie trailer and associated press release.
Press Release
STARTS
Great excitement is building worldwide in anticipation of the World Premiere of the Martin Scorsese movie “The Irishman” at the New York Film Festival this Friday (27th September). The movie stars a legendary cast led by Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel. However, one Irish man sees the film’s release quite differently. Irish whiskey producer Bernard Walsh has been producing “The Irishman” since 2007. Not only does Mr Walsh’s whiskey share the same name as the movie, it also shares the same logo. Instead of disputing the commercial rights to his brand with Mr Scorsese and Netflix (the movie’s backers), Mr Walsh, has recently written to Mr Scorsese to make him an offer he surely can’t refuse – and it’s sealed in a wooden casket!
The casket contains two things. The first is a letter from Mr Walsh offering Mr Scorsese and Netflix an ample supply of The Irishman whiskey for all of the movie’s premieres – free of charge. The second item is a personalised bottle of his critically acclaimed whiskey, The Irishman Cask Strength. As a mark of respect, Mr Walsh has also sent 30 personalised bottles of this rare, triple-distilled, 54% ABV whiskey (valued at US$140/ €130 a bottle) for senior members of the cast and production crew. This includes Messrs. De Niro, Pacino, Pesci and Keitel and Stephen Zaillian, the author of the movie’s screenplay.
Mr Walsh has also produced a short movie of his own as a homage to the co-existence of The Irishman movie and whiskey. It is in the style of the original trailer to announce The Irishman which Netflix aired during the Oscars ceremony this Spring. The short animation features two Wise Guys in conversation as one introduces the other to his ‘associates’ – three expressions of The Irishman whiskey – Founder’s Reserve, Single Malt and Cask Strength.
Commenting on his deep regard for the great Director, Mr Walsh said: “I have been a fan of Mr Scorsese’s work for many years and I hope that he will also appreciate mine. In addition to our sharing a business name we already have a few other things in common. We both love creating works of intensity, depth and character, accepting awards and having a healthy regard for the critics!”
Referencing his surprise that the movie has chosen to use the same branding as his whiskey, Mr Walsh said: “It was a major surprise to see my brand on a Hollywood movie trailer, but my view is that the world is a big enough place for us to co-exist together. In fact, in the 50-plus countries where our whiskey is distributed worldwide, people could do a lot worse than pour themselves a dram of The Irishman Founder’s Reserve when they settle down to watch what surely will be an Oscar-winning movie on Netflix in the Fall.
“One thing’s for sure, whether Mr Scorsese decides to accept or refuse my offer, he won’t have to worry about me challenging him to a dual in the Octagon! I am not that kind of Irishman!”
ENDS
Stuart McNamara (@WhiskeyBlogger) is an international Whiskey Blogger who edits several International Whisk(e)y and Whiskey Tourism sites including IrishWhiskey.com and WhiskeyBlogger.com. He is Chair of the Irish Craft And Artisan Distilleries Association (ICADA) and is an elected member of the National Council of ISME, the Irish SME Association. He is also the creator and editor of International Irish Whiskey Day which is celebrated on 3/3 or 3rd March each year and had a global social media reach in 2021 of over 20 Million. He is a Director of Portmagee Whiskey and has also acted as both a brand and product development consultant to several other Irish Whiskey and other spirits producers.
