Barrel Room Chronicles: McConnell's Irish Whisky with Sarah Kennedy and Jim Ingram

The episode brings together a strong lineup: McConnell's CEO John Kelly, head distiller Graeme Millar, brand manager Sarah Kennedy, and Whiskey Novice Jim Ingram alongside his colleague Ray Gallen at The Friend at Hand whiskey shop and museum.

The recording mixes brand storytelling with the kind of place-grounded conversation that makes Belfast whiskey content distinctive: "Sarah Kennedy takes me to the Friend at Hand whiskey shop and museum for today's tavern talk, where I speak with the whiskey novice himself, Jim Ingram, and his co-worker Ray Gallen. Then later in the show, I sit down with Sarah Kennedy to finally taste McConnell's whiskey."

The conversation captures one of Jim Ingram's signature lines: "You don't choose a whiskey in here, the whiskey chooses you." That phrase has become part of the Friend at Hand's mythology — and listening to Jim deliver it in his own voice on a podcast recorded inside the shop is closer to the real experience than any written piece could ever be.

McConnell's matters to Belfast Whiskey Week in a specific way. The brand opened its distillery and visitor experience in the former A-wing of Crumlin Road Gaol in March 2024 — making it one of two new working Belfast distilleries (alongside Titanic Distillers) to anchor the city's distilling revival. The BWW Wrap Party for the 2025 festival took place at McConnell's Distillery. The brand and the festival have grown together, with each strengthening the other.

Sarah Kennedy in particular has become a recurring voice in Belfast Whiskey Week's wider media ecosystem. She has appeared on Words on Whiskey, in Hospitality Ireland coverage, in Irish News features, and on Barrel Room Chronicles — telling the McConnell's revival story across multiple platforms and audiences.

For US-based listeners discovering Irish whiskey, the Barrel Room Chronicles episode is one of the most effective introductions to both McConnell's specifically and the wider Belfast whiskey landscape that Belfast Whiskey Week celebrates each year.

Listen to the full episode: Barrel Room Chronicles — The Rebirth of McConnell's Irish Whisky, Season 2 Finale Part 2