Football Legend Scores with New Whiskey
Northern Ireland footballing hero of the 1982 World Cup, Gerry Armstrong has launched a limited edition whiskey, Spirit of 82 that celebrates that iconic moment when the team defied all the odds.
Armstrong struck the winning goal against the hosts, Spain, on June 25 and now he has produced a whiskey as a tribute to the dedication and passion displayed by our team during that extraordinary match.
It was in the 47th minute against the favourites for the tournament in their own heartland of Valencia that Armstrong scored and the Northern Ireland team fought their way to hold on to the lead and etch their name into footballing history.
Already Armstrong’s new blend, developed with Food NI member Titanic Distillers, is receiving plaudits from many quarters, including those close to home.
“The whiskey process takes years but when people started drinking it their reactions were fantastic and very complimentary,” the Belfast man explained.
“My father is an expert in whiskey drinking and said it was very smooth and easy to drink and reminded him of one of his favourite well known Irish brands.”
The number nine of Northern Ireland on that special night said he worked with the right people to develop Spirit of 82, and make sure that he had a whiskey he was proud to bear his name.
“After speaking with my good friend Peter Lavery I thought I must make a whiskey of my own choice and he helped me to select the type of whiskey I like” he said.
“We went through the tasting procedures and eliminated the whiskey we didn’t think was good enough until we came up with the Spirit of 82.
“All in all it was a fantastic process, it’s not easy to bring a whiskey to market but I have loved every step of the journey.”
