It is not often that a company, brand or label remains true to its original ethos after almost 250 years. Yet after two and a half centuries, Jameson has retained the essence that keeps it unapologetically Irish. Founded in 1780 by the original John Jameson, the whiskey brand began life as a family-run company with Jameson’s three sons. Over the next century, the helm was passed on through the brothers, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren until eventually, Jameson grew into the company we know today.
Throughout its history, Jameson has continuously championed expertise, mastery and craftsmanship. In order to survive eras such as the prohibition, the coal shortage of 1918, and both World Wars, Jameson has lent on its skilful community of workers to keep the company thriving. Tapping into the attire of said community, Jameson’s latest collaboration with American workwear company Dickies is a celebration of the history of hard work that remains at the heart of the alcohol brand.
To commemorate the collaboration, last month Jameson travelled across the Atlantic to New York City to officially launch the capsule collection and bring a touch of Irish charm to the States. Tucked away in a hidden room behind a store in the West Village, the launch event had various stations of different craftsmen inviting guests to partake in a number of activities including screenprinting, leather embossing and more.
Arguably the highlight of the event was a demonstration from Killian O’Mahony, a cooper who showed how to make and dismantle the wooden barrels used to distil whiskey. With O’Mahony’s level of finesse, it came as no surprise that he is the first newly appointed cooper in Ireland in the last 30 years. Despite Ireland being once filled with thousands of coopers at any given time, the process of triple distilling in this way is a lost art, a craft that Jameson is intent on preserving.
Check out a recap in the images above. Shop the collection here and head over to the Jameson site to find out more details about its history.