THE POWERSCOURT DISTILLERY

Redefining Irish Whiskey

With double-digit growth since 2000, Irish Whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirits category in the world. Leading this growth to date has been Jameson. Globally recognized and sold at the “premium” tier, Jameson has been primarily responsible for having defined Irish Whiskey’s perceived taste profile and quality expectations. Enter onto this landscape The Powerscourt Distillery, located on the stunningly beautiful 800-year-old Powerscourt Estate recognized throughout the world for its elegant artistry, superior craftsmanship, and world-class gardens. Powerscourt has recently welcomed renowned master distiller, Noel Sweeney, to help create a portfolio of Irish Whiskeys as sophisticated and elegant as the property on which they’ll be distilled. The Powerscourt team engaged Trinity Brand Group to craft a brand strategy and visual identity that would help them redefine Irish Whiskey for the world.

INSIGHTS

An Extraordinary Place

Fundamental to building a distinctive new brand was our immersion in the place that inspired it. Powerscourt Estate is a magical place. Nestled in Ireland’s Wicklow mountains, there’s a harmony that exists between the lush open acres of untamed land, the humbling power of its wild, magnificent waterfall, and the exquisite artistry of its landscaped gardens and centuries-old estate house. This unique combination of place, history, and tradition creates a feeling of boundless potential and stories left to discover, evident from the moment you pass through the gates onto the property. And it’s felt most strongly within the thick stone walls of the estate’s centuries-old mill house where the distinctive whiskey will be distilled. That feeling would need to come through in every aspect of The Powerscourt Distillery brand.

STRATEGY

An Extraordinary Spirit

From Trinity’s immersion into Powerscourt and the vision for the business, the brand strategy of Extraordinary Spirt was born—to capture the spirit of the place and the truly superior nature of the super-premium liquid. The strategy serves as the guiding light for all the brand’s communications and business decisions, ensuring every consumer interaction with the brand feels as luxe as the estate. From its distinctive voice to its product strategy, its exclusive cask program, its exquisite vision for an on-site visitor’s center, to its brand identity, The Powerscourt Distillery’s north star and measuring stick is expressing its extraordinary spirit in everything it does.

CREATIVE

Introducing Powerscourt

To begin to bring this truly extraordinary spirit to life, Trinity created a brandmark inspired by the estate itself, matching the historical care and attention to detail for which Powerscourt is known. A gold arched line atop the wordmark traces the region’s striking Sugarloaf mountain silhouette, visible throughout the estate. The elegant, traditional wordmark letterforms are surrounded by intricate and complex filigree etchings that nod to the detailed craftsmanship found throughout the estate, especially on its iconic wrought iron gates. Finally, the brand’s color palette sets it apart from other whiskey brands. A sophisticated deep blue complemented by a distinctive gold patina that evokes the layers of history behind the Powerscourt Estate—an elegant, sophisticated and storied place that has stood the test of time. As one of the first visual expressions of the brand, we developed an elegant brochure for the brand’s cask program. In it, we tell the brand’s story and infuse its pages with the extraordinary elegance and quality of Powerscourt’s game changing whiskeys.