MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The Local Irish Pub in Minneapolis has marked its fourth consecutive year of having sold more Jameson Irish Whiskey than any other bar in the world -including any pub in Ireland. Owned and operated by Kieran Folliard and Peter Killen, two Irishmen who adopted Minneapolis as their hometown, The Local's trademark drink, the Big Ginger , helped secure this record four-peat.
The Local, an old-world-style Irish pub that prides itself on providing an atmosphere of hospitality and a sense of authenticity that the Irish are famous for, sold 775 cases of Jameson in 2009 - roughly 25 bottles of the Irish whiskey every day.
To put it in perspective: The world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, is 2,600 feet tall. In 2009 alone, The Local's 9,300 record-breaking bottles of Jameson, stacked on top of each other, reach 9,881 feet - 3.8 times taller than the Dubai skyscraper. The Local's full four years' worth of Jameson bottles, end to end, reach a staggering 30,255 feet. Mount Everest tops out at 29,029 feet.
"We couldn t have accomplished this feat without the help from our loyal Irish whiskey drinkers and our signature drink - the Big Ginger [Jameson and ginger ale]," said Folliard. "The Big Ginger has solidified itself as a crowd favorite-people ask for it by name-and it has become popular with everyone from the new whiskey drinker to the
connoisseur." A full 72% of 2009's Jameson was poured into Big Gingers.
Although many were sceptical that the feat could be repeated for a fourth year, the 13.4% increase over 2008's record numbers was enough to clinch the title again. "We know you don't get to be number one in the world by just sitting around the bar talking about it," said Folliard. "Our guests share in our ambition every day."
"For an unprecedented four years, this bar in Minneapolis has consistently surpassed pubs in cities known for their large Irish and Irish American populations," said Simon Fay, Regional Director, Americas for Irish Distillers, Ltd. "We are proud of The Local's strong performance and it is our privilege to honor them for helping make Jameson the number one Irish Whiskey in the world."
On May 20, 2010, a day-long celebration at The Local, 931 Nicollet Mall, will feature $4 Big Gingers and the pub's signature Chicken Shots, a popular menu item prepared with a Jameson glaze. At 4:30, a ceremony will commence with top executives from the Irish Distillers Limited group in Dublin, Ireland, who will present a plaque to the pub's owners, heralding The Local's significant commercial accomplishment.