In the wild and remote countryside of the Inishowen Peninsula, located at the very north of Ireland and perched right along the edge of the north Donegal coast and the wild Atlantic Ocean, is where our early 20th-century story begins. Our main protagonist is Philip McClenaghan, a humble farmer from the village of Muff. He was an industrious man, making the very best of his land and his time, but always with a keen eye for invention and creation. To many people, the basic potato was just a staple food, but to Philip, it was an opportunity to experiment and create a delicious whiskey liquor from this simple but important crop. What began as his very own style of ‘Poitin’ has today evolved into the manufacturing and bottling of ‘The Muff Liquor Company’s’ Irish Gin, Irish Whiskey, and Irish Vodka range.

Paying homage to basic utilitarian bottles and what was simply available to its founding creator, this new range of premium spirits shares a very unique and beautiful wide bottle, reminiscent of old Irish glass jugs, medicinal vessels, and large easy-to-carry glass containers with carry lugs. A prominent Muff logo sits bold and proud on these bottles, raised from the glass, and with originally crafted typography that echoes the hand-painted brush-type signage popular at the time. This brings a new confidence and a louder voice for added shelf appeal. With textured glass, handmade torn papers, a beautiful wooden cap, and hand-drawn illustrations documenting secret notes, ideas, and recipes, all these custom elements combine to imbue a nostalgic traditional look and feel, as well as a ‘nod of the cap’ to the prohibition era of Poitin making.

Since its initial launch, the Muff range has earned its glowing reputation and its award-winning respect in a very competitive marketplace. In the redesign of these bottles and labels, we wanted to once again elevate this wonderful story of spirit production further by embracing even more of the confident styling and visual appeal of a golden age in whiskey, gin, and vodka distilling. This design and range of spirits is a modern take on a traditional spirit drink and speaks not only to the past but also to a discerning younger audience.