Bushmills Irish Whiskey® To Sponsor The Irish Open

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bushmills Irish Whiskey, one of the oldest names in spirits and handcrafted on the North Coast of Ireland for centuries, has announced its place as the official whiskey of the 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, running June 28 through July 1^st, 2012. 

To celebrate the sponsorship, Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, is offering the winner of the international tournament the 'Freedom of the Old Bushmills Distillery': an honor that will grant them the keys to his private reserve.

"It has been 65 years since the Irish Open was contested at Royal Portrush Golf Club and I am delighted that Bushmills Irish Whiskey will be part of one of the biggest sporting events to have ever been staged on the North Coast of Ireland," said Egan. "With the success at Majors in recent years of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, we are a region that is no stranger to golfing success. These three great sportsmen represent the very best of sporting achievement."

As part of its landmark sponsorship, Bushmills is offering another unique prize for the tournament winner. In addition to offering the 'Freedom of the Distillery', Egan will also place a bottle containing a special blend of Bushmillls Irish Whiskey in a bespoke cabinet, handmade from oak that is used in the whiskey making process. That bottle will have pride-of-place at the distillery and will only ever be opened by the winner himself.

"Bushmills Irish Whiskey is the perfect toast for any champion of golf," added Yvonne Briese, VP Whiskey Diageo North America.  "From America to Northern Ireland and beyond, Bushmills Irish Whiskey has been shared for centuries responsibly among friends.  It will be our honor to congratulate the recipient of Colum's generous prize, and we wish the best of luck to all competitors."

The Old Bushmills Distillery combines handcrafted qualities with age-old skill. The liquid has also had its own share of international success in recent years – The Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey was recently named 'Best Irish Whiskey' at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

James Finnigan of The European Tour, Commercial Director for the Irish Open, said: "The Old Bushmills Distillery is, like Royal Portrush Golf Club, a world famous landmark on the Co. Antrim coast and we are delighted that Bushmills will be the Official Whiskey to the Irish Open next month.  "It is great news to see that the 'Freedom of the Distillery' awaits the Irish Open winner and we all hope that an iconic institution and an iconic golf course can welcome an iconic champion on the first Sunday in July."

About Bushmills
Bushmills enjoys a worldwide reputation as a uniquely authentic Irish whiskey with a heritage spanning four centuries.  Bushmills is a premium Irish whiskey, produced, aged and bottled at Ireland's oldest working distillery in Bushmills Village, Co. Antrim, a community where whiskey has been shared among friends since 1608 when the area was first granted an official license to distil. Triple-distilled Bushmills Whiskey is made with the finest malted Irish barley and pure Irish water, and is the only Irish whiskey brand that offers a full range of blends (standard and deluxe) and single malts - all of which share the rich, mellow and distinct Bushmills characteristics: Bushmills Original, Bushmills Irish Honey, Black Bush, Bushmills 10-Year-Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16-Year-Old Single Malt and the rare Bushmills 21-Year-Old Single Malt.

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.  Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com. 

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SOURCE Diageo