Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka The Globetrotting Quest to Craft Nature’s Purest Tasting Vodka
An inventor, experimenter, and world traveler, PJ Rigney has an unparalleled passion for spirits. For years, he has searched for nature’s purest tasting vodka — a quest that’s led him from his native Ireland to the untamed African Serengeti. That’s precisely where he found the missing ingredient, and namesake, for his artisanal Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka.
While exploring the African Serengeti, PJ came upon the majestic Kigelia africana, also known as the “Sausage Tree” because of its oblong, sausage-shaped fruit. PJ was instantly struck by this majestic plant, recognizing a kinship between it and the Irish nettle, which grows in the woodlands of Drumshanbo. A connection that only a truly innovative mind could have made.
PJ brought the Sausage Tree fruit and Irish nettle together with Irish grain spirit at The Shed Distillery. Having worked in the spirits world since the 1980s, PJ wanted to build his own curious laboratory where he could craft unique, exceptional spirits. In 2014, he founded The Shed Distillery with his wife, Denise, in the village of Drumshanbo in western Ireland’s County Leitrim. Ever the explorer, he was drawn to the wild, untamed beauty of this spot (“It is very much the road less traveled,” he says), where he was the first to open a distillery in more than 100 years.
Of course, such a special Irish vodka deserved a special symbol. An equally lively and unforgettable creature that encapsulated the spirit of liquor itself, as well as the wild plants and landscapes that inspired it. PJ found his champion in the honey badger. This small, ferocious mammal feeds on the carpenter bees that nest in the Sausage Tree’s bark, enduring stings for sustenance. Boldly displayed on the bottleneck, the honey badger is the perfect emblem for Sausage Tree Vodka and the embodiment of one of PJ’s favorite mantras: “Nature has no place for the weak.”
Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka Highlights
The Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka, was the first distillery to open in west Ireland in over 100 years.
Founder PJ Rigney is an entrepreneur and world traveler who has worked in the spirits industry since the 1980s.
The Shed Distillery uses organic and fair-trade practices, along with eco-friendly water management systems and renewable energy sources.
Sausage Tree Irish Vodka is distilled from African Sausage Tree fruit, Irish nettle, and Irish grain.
Planting Roots in Deepest, Rural Ireland
PJ built The Shed Distillery in the beating heart of Ireland’s pristine countryside, on the edge of a lake in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. This bucolic locale was a crucial element of PJ’s vision for his distillery — it had to be wild and un-manicured, surrounded by nature yet rooted in a rich history. From the shores of Lough Allen to the nearby foothills of Sliabh an Iarainn (The Iron Mountain), Drumshanbo was everything PJ had hoped for and more. The ideal place to retreat after one of his curious journeys to craft his next, deliciously innovative spirit.
The “Magic” Ingredients of Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka
PJ’s quest for nature’s purest tasting vodka led him to the tropical African Serengeti, where he encountered the curious Kigelia africana or Sausage Tree. The nickname comes from the tree’s peculiar, brown, sausage-shaped fruit, which can grow up to three feet in length and 30 pounds in weight. African locals revere the fruit for its curative powers and, legend has it, hanging the fruit inside a house will protect it from storms.
As PJ contemplated the majestic Sausage Tree, he was reminded of the wild Irish nettles that grows in the woodlands of Drumshanbo. Though Irish nettles can sting, they’re picked for their reputed medicinal powers, especially cleansing the blood. It seemed only natural to PJ to pair the Irish nettle with the Sausage Tree fruit — two botanicals with purifying powers, combining forces to produce nature’s purest vodka.
Sustainably Conscious at Every Step of the Journey
The Shed Distillery is committed to minimizing its environmental impact and actively promoting sustainability throughout its production processes. They prioritize organic and fair-trade practices, ensuring that the Sausage Tree fruit used in their vodka is grown without harmful chemicals and that the communities involved in its harvest and processing are treated fairly. The distillery has implemented efficient water management systems, recycling, and reusing water wherever feasible to reduce water consumption and minimize their environmental impact. The Shed has also invested in renewable energy solutions to further the transition to clean energy sources. They currently use solar power and other renewable resources to power their distillery to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
By prioritizing the planet and engaging in sustainable production, they’re demonstrating that it is possible to create exceptional, artisanal products while remaining conscious of the health of our planet.
The Making of Nature’s Purest Tasting Vodka
At The Shed Distillery, the team masterfully brings PJ’s vision for nature’s purest tasting vodka to life in Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka. It’s a slow and meticulous process, a marriage of old methods and new ideas. After preparing an equal mixture of pure Irish grain spirit and water in the still, the team adds one-part ground Sausage Tree fruit and three-parts Irish nettle, with additional ethanol. Then, the distillation begins, with minimal steeping and maceration time to preserve that all-important purity.
Post-distillation, the vodka rests for a minimum of five days, before being blended with Irish spring water (famous for its purity and quality). Afterwards, the team performs a full sensory check to ensure that their Drumshanbo vodka is, in fact, nature’s purest vodka. That means a clear and colorless appearance, slightly herbaceous aroma, and clean, crisp taste. Once approved, it’s bottled, labeled, and packed by hand on premise.
PJ Rigney: Entrepreneur, Inventor, Adventurer
PJ Rigney has been called the modern Marco Polo of the spirits world. He’s a self-described serial entrepreneur who has been dreaming up incredible spirit journeys since the early 1980s when he helped put Irish Creme on the map in America. He is also famous for his wanderlust and the influence of his travels trickles down to every element of The Shed’s delightful spirits — including the gorgeous bottle of his Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Vodka. The vivid color is inspired by the Sausage Tree’s blood-red, tulip-shaped flowers, which attract the carpenter bees that feed the honey badger, the vodka’s ferocious mascot.
