Master Distiller Set to Take Distillery on Tour...

BUSHMILLS VILLAGE, Ireland, March 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, is set to launch a global competition - 'Make it 2 Bushmills' - that will see him take the world-famous distillery on tour.

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Colum is offering two friends the chance to work alongside him for two weeks, to learn the skills of whiskey-making that have existed in the Bushmills area for over 400 years, GBP5,000 spending money to share and the chance to stay in luxury accommodation on Ireland's north coast. Then he will pack up the best bits of the Old Bushmills Distillery to go on tour. Destination? The winners' home country.

Speaking ahead of the launch of Make it 2 Bushmills on St Patrick's Day, 17th March, Colum said: "More than 100,000 people visit our distillery every year but there are millions of BUSHMILLS(TM) fans the world over - so we thought it was about time that we visited them."

Two friends from each competing country[1] will be voted by the public to go forward to Bushcamp, the Make it 2 Bushmills, three day global final taking place this August on Ireland's spectacular north coast. There they will experience what life at the Old Bushmills Distillery has to offer.

Colum said: "At Bushcamp we are looking for the two people who best represent the BUSHMILLS spirit of friendship. We will be challenging our finalists to together try some of the things the team here love to do such as taking part in sport or playing music. We will also test their palettes with a series of whiskey tastings."

The winning pair of friends announced at Bushcamp, will then be given behind-the-scenes access to the distillery, GBP5,000 spending money, luxury penthouse accommodation and the chance to make their own unique blend of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey.

Following that, the distillery will go on tour. Colum Egan will pack up some of the equipment, people and whiskey from the distillery and bring them to the winners' home country for the ultimate BUSHMILLS party, where the winners and their friends will be the guests of honour.

"We're looking for real friends, with a genuine love for life and wicked sense of humour," said Colum, "and do you know what? I'm sure we'll find them."

To enter or find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry opens at 16.08 GMT on 17th March 2011 and closes at 11.59pm GMT on Sunday 17th April 2011. Terms and conditions apply.

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    Notes to Editors

    [1] The competing countries in Make it 2 Bushmills are;

    - Belgium
    - Bulgaria
    - Czech Republic
    - Germany
    - Great Britain
    - Netherlands
    - Northern Ireland
    - Republic of Ireland
    - Russia
    - South Africa
    - United States of America

From each, one pair of finalists will be selected by public vote to go forward to Bushcamp.

B-roll footage featuring sound-bites with BUSHMILLS Master Distiller Colum Egan, BUSHMILLS Master Blender, Helen Mulholland and Darryl McNally, Distilling Manager is available on request.

    
    For further information please contact:

    Pippa Arlow, Smarts
    T: +44(0)28-9039-5500
    M: +44(0)7850203864
    E: pippa.arlow@smarts.co.uk

    Kerri Warnock, Smarts
    T: +44(0)28-9039-5500
    M: +44(0)7840023980
    E: kerri.warnock@smarts.co.uk