Q&A with Andrea Kissane, CEO and Co-Founder The Muckross Wild Irish Spirits Co Ltd

Tell us about your current role. 

When you work in a start-up, your role as CEO means that you do everything from business strategy to being the company’s bartender. We produce Muckross Irish Gin, an award-winning premium Irish craft gin inspired by Ireland’s oldest National Park, right here in Muckross, Killarney. We forage local wild rosehip, heather, blackthorn leaves and hawthorn leaves in the Muckross area, and blend with bitter orange and grapefruit.

Specifically, I look to grow sales both domestically and in export, while working on the release of our next product. We were double winners at the recent, prestigious Berlin International Spirits Competition, with our gin being a gold winner and also taking home Ireland’s Gin of the Year.

How did you first get into the food/drink industry? 

I grew up a stone’s throw from Muckross in Killarney, spending every weekend with my parents out in nature of some sort. I learned about the botanicals, the flora and the fauna. 

My cofounder is Martin Wray, a Derryman who has made the Kingdom his home. He has a background in mixology, and we enjoyed experimenting with simple gins, mixing them with different essences and garnishes to see how that altered the taste profile. And then it really was a eureka moment – we were in Muckross one day and thought, why shouldn’t there be a premium, exquisite gin inspired by this melody of nature’s finest botanicals, native to our home? It’s about pride of place, the taste of Muckross in a bottle, our local gin taking its place with all the other premium spirits on offer.

What is your favourite part about working in the industry? 

The creativity, the incredible products that people produce using different processes and raw ingredients. And I am a people person and so love meeting new contacts and customers – it is a very sociable industry and everyone has a great story to tell.

We’re meeting up for a drink after work – what are you having? 

If there’s a gin behind the bar that I haven’t tried before, then I’ll have that because I can justify it as market research. I love a glass of Sancerre on a sunny evening or an espresso martini if we’re celebrating some good news.

You can only have one drink for the rest of your life, what’s in your glass? 

It has to be our Muckross Irish Gin –  the right serve can offer different taste profiles. Served with a big squeeze of lime (no elegant wedges for me), it opens up to let the citrus notes of bitter orange and grapefruit sing. Add a sprig of rosemary to let the woody notes of the blackthorn and hawthorn leaves spin to the top. And my dessert gin is served with a big chunk of fresh orange – it balances the bitter orange in the blend and gives a beautiful sweetness to the profile.

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It’s Saturday night, what restaurant are you going to? 

Tango Street Food in Killarney – an Argentine grill with the most delicious woodfired pizzas. A huge local success with South American flair.

Is there a bucket list drink you want to try, or a dream drink destination you’d love to visit? 

I’d love to learn more about rum, and Jamaica sounds like the dream destination to begin.

What is the most memorable experience of your career? 

Winning Ireland’s Gin of the Year 2025 at the Berlin International Spirits Competition in April of this year stands out as a moment of fabulous external validation And we’ve been asked to bring our tuk tuk and mobile bar to some incredible weddings and events over the last year – stories to share over that glass of Sancerre.

One thing you’d like to see more of in the drinks industry? 

I’d love to see more female representation across the board, and specifically in decision-making roles.  

Are there any particular women you admire in the industry?

Orla and Anna from Valentia Vermouth are great examples of glorious disruptors, bringing new ideas to the table and leaning into the beauty of our Irish surroundings.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a career in the industry? 

Be clear on the ‘why’ of your career and let that answer lead you to the role/company/sector that is the best fit for you. Take up space and both offer and receive help, all boats rise together.

Follow Muckross Irish Gin on Instagram and Facebook.

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