An award-winning brewery located in the ‘Best Halloween Destination in the World’ has created a special craft beer to mark the launch of this year’s Derry~Londonderry international Halloween festival programme in the United States.
A limited edition of Walled City Brewery’s new toffee apple flavoured beer travelled across the Atlantic to the ‘Big Apple’ during a two-day tourism mission to promote Derry as a world class visitor destination.
We may be in the midst of summer, but Walled City Brewery owner James Huey worked on the recipe well in advance of the famous Halloween celebrations to have the new product ready for New York this week.
The exclusive new beer called ‘Samhain’ after the ancient Celtic harvest festival meaning ‘summer’s end’ and the beginning of winter on the first day of November, travelled to the US with a ‘Team LegenDerry’ delegation comprising representatives from Derry City and Strabane District Council, Visit Derry and trade partners.
The delegation led by the Mayor, Councillor John Boyle, is taking part in a series of engagements aimed at promoting the city and district as an international visitor destination during the Clipper Round the World Race New York stopover.
The Clipper 2017-2018 Race fleet will depart New York on the Legendary Finale leg sailing into Derry next month to take part in the Council’s momentous Foyle Maritime Festival, Ireland’s biggest maritime celebration this summer.
The Derry delegation’s visit is supported by Tourism Ireland, Invest NI and the NI Bureau highlighting both the Foyle Maritime Festival which will bring nine days of world class nautical action from July 14th-22nd and the Derry International Halloween Festival which also promises to be a truly spooktacular event from October 26th-November 3rd 2018.
James Huey, owner of Walled City Brewery, described the New York trip as a “huge opportunity” to engage with key US tour operators and encourage them to bring new customers to the city and region as part of their itineraries.
He explained that around 50% of tourists who visited his establishment were from North America and they were particularly interested in sampling premium local craft beers and food showing connectivity to the history of the city and surrounding area.
Visitor numbers have increased since Northern Ireland’s only brewery restaurant was recently awarded a contract with CIE Tours and it won Best Gastro Pub in Ireland at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2017. “We have a big connection with our American customers and we are hopeful that the US tour operators will continue to put Derry on the map,” he said.
Walled City Brewery is a family-run business and the toffee for the new ‘Samhain’ beer was made by Jill McKillop, James Huey’s sister who is also Executive Chef. The Armagh Bramley apples were picked from an orchard they planted as a family 25 years ago at the Huey family homestead in Muff, Co Donegal.
Karen Henderson, Sales and Marketing Manager with Visit Derry, said both she and their trade partners on the trip – Walled City Brewery, Beech Hill Country House Hotel, City Hotel and Bishop’s Gate Hotel – were looking forward to the opportunity to meet with the US travel trade and other tourism professionals to promote Derry as a ‘must see’ visitor destination and generate potential new business for the city and region.
If you would like to experience some of the best international festivals in the world, and the finest authentic local food and drink all in the company of the friendliest people, be sure to visit Derry - where a LegenDerry welcome awaits!
For full details of what’s on offer and accommodation please visit www.visitderry.com
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For media enquiries relating to Visit Derry, please contact Bernie Mullen, Gray’s Communications, Catalyst Inc. Bay Road, Derry, BT48 7TG. Email: info@grayscommunications.com. Tel: 07809 159450.
Notes to Editor:
Delegation background information
The delegation will include the following persons:
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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor John Boyle
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Director of Business and Culture, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Stephen Gillespie
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Head of Culture, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aeidin McCarter
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PR and Media Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Adele McCourt
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Karen Henderson, Sales and Marketing Manager, Visit Derry