Boann Distillery’s 1848 Apple Brandy has been named World’s Best Apple Brandy for an unprecedented third consecutive year at the World Drinks Awards.
The Co Meath distillery’s Irish-French spirit retained the title it won in 2024 and 2025, completing a remarkable three-year run at one of the drinks industry’s leading international competitions. Produced by the independent, family-run Boann Distillery in the Boyne Valley, 1848 Apple Brandy brings together French Calvados and Boann’s own triple-distilled Irish apple brandy in a distinctive celebration of the historic relationship between Ireland and France.
The blend comprises eight-year-old Calvados, three-year-old Calvados matured in French oak and triple-distilled Irish apple brandy aged in American oak barrels. The Calvados is sourced in collaboration from Château du Breuil in Normandy.
The spirit takes its name from a defining moment in Irish history. In 1848, a group of French rebels, who had successfully overthrown King Louis Phillipe 1, presented the Irish tricolour to the leader of the Young Irelanders, Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher, having travelled to France to study the principles of the French revolution, proudly hoisted the flag, crafted from fine French silk, atop the Wolfe Tone Confederate Club in Waterford.
The story is illustrated across the bottle’s distinctive wraparound label, connecting the two countries’ shared history with the French and Irish spirits inside. This original scraperboard illustration was commissioned from acclaimed Wicklow-based artist David Rooney. “Winning the title of World’s Best Apple Brandy once was a tremendous honour. To receive it for a third consecutive year is an extraordinary endorsement of the quality and consistency of 1848 Apple Brandy,” said Peter Cooney of Boann Distillery.
“This spirit is rooted in craftsmanship, collaboration and history. By bringing together Calvados from Château du Breuil and our own triple-distilled Irish apple brandy, we have created something that reflects both the individual character of Ireland and France and the enduring relationship between the two nations.
“The award belongs to everyone involved in producing 1848, from the teams at Boann and Château du Breuil to the growers, distillers, blenders and designers who helped bring its story to life.”
The World Drink Awards judges have repeatedly recognised the spirit’s expressive apple character. In 2024, judges praised its fresh, bright apple aroma, clean distillation and crisp, refreshing quality. The following year, they highlighted its caramel colour and aromas of red and bruised apples, fermented cider and spice.
Smooth and rounded, 1848 Apple Brandy offers notes of fresh and dried apple, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut and dried fruit. It can be enjoyed neat, over ice or in classic and contemporary cocktails. The label also reflects Boann’s focus on more responsible packaging. It is produced using paper made from 95 per cent FSC-certified pulp from responsibly managed forests, with the remaining 5 per cent derived from waste generated during apple-juice production.
1848 Apple Brandy is available in a 70cl bottle from Boann Distillery online at boanndistillery.ie and in person for €45.95, as well as through selected independent drinks retailers, including the Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dublin Airport Duty Free and online for Click & Collect at https://www.dublinandcorkdutyfree.ie.
