The story of how The Escape Pod/Chicago created a new brand of Irish whiskey from scratch

1. FINE IRISH
A Unique
Hibernian Spirit
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
A UNIQUE
HIBERNIAN SPIRIT
THE ART OF
CREATING A NEW
BRAND OF
IRISH WHISKEY THE ESCAPE POD
A CASE STUDY BY:

2. In June 2014, Phillips Distilling Company
approached The Escape Pod with an
interesting challenge: create a new brand
of Irish whiskey. From scratch. This book is
a document of the strategic thinking and
design exploration that went into creating a
new Irish whiskey that is designed to shake
things up in its category. The whiskey is
distilled at the famous Cooley distillery in
Louth, Ireland. It’s bottled here in the USA.
Hell-Cat Maggie Irish whiskey launches
nationally on St. Patrick’s Day, 2015.
©2015TheEscapePod,LLC.ThesematerialsarethepropertyofTheEscapePod,LLCandmaynotbereproducedordistributed
withoutwrittenconsentfromtheEscapePod,LLC.

3. We identified three creative territories we felt might yield
interesting ideas for this new brand of Irish whiskey.
1. IRISH-AMERICA. Specifically, 1850s Gangs of New York era
Irish-America. Smokey taverns, cobblestoned streets, crazy
whiskey-fuelled nights. It gives the brand a backstory as well
as a unique design vibe and cultural context.
2. BE THE CRAZY ONE. Be the funky new brand that shakes up
the category by being the cool alternative to the rather safe
and boring existing brands.
3. OUT IRISH THE IRISH. The current category players are rather
subdued and don’t directly evoke the Emerald Isle in a visceral
way. Maybe that’s a weakness. Ireland equals fun drinking
times in the minds of many American drinkers. Much as New
Orleans does.

4. IRISH-AMERICA

7. 40%ALC/VOL
(80
PROOF)
A
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IQ
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HIBERNIANSPIRIT
IRISH
W H I S K E Y 40%ALC/VOL
(
80
PROOF)
A
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HIBERNIANSPIRIT
IRISH
W H I S K E Y

8. AUniqueBlendoftheFinest

11. I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
5P O I N T E R

12. I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
I R I S H
W H I S K E Y
A • U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N • S P I R I T
5P O I N T E R
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)

13. SERGEAN
★
★
★
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★
★
SERGEANT O’TOOLE’S
The fictitious Sergeant O’Toole was
created to embody the tradition of Irish
Americans in law enforcement.

15. 80
A UNIQUE TRIPLE-DISTILLED BLEND OF THE FINEST
IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP & AMERICAN KNOW-HOW.
40%
PROOF
IRISH WHISKEY
BY
VOL
ALC
HELLCAT
MAGGIE
BY WAY OF COUNTY PLOUTH
IRELAND
FIVE POINTS NEW YORK
80
A UNIQUE TRIPLE-DISTILLED BLEND OF THE FINEST
IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP & AMERICAN KNOW-HOW.
40%
PROOF
IRISH WHISKEY
BY
VOL
ALC
HELLCAT
MAGGIE
BY WAY OF COUNTY PLOUTH
IRELAND
FIVE POINTS NEW YORK
HELLCAT
MAGGIE
HELL-CAT MAGGIE
Hellcat Maggie was an actual historical
figure in the Five Points area. Tough
as nails, she actually filed her nails
and teeth into points which which to
shred her opponents’ skin in a fight.
She was featured in the movie Gangs
of New York.

16. FIVE POINTS
NEW YORK
– BY WAY OF –
COUNTY PLOUTH
IRELAND
80
40%
ALC
BY
VOL
PROOF
IRISH WHISKEY
A UNIQUE BLEND OF THE
FINEST IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP
& AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
FIVE POINTS
NEW YORK
– BY WAY OF –
COUNTY PLOUTH
IRELAND
80
40%
ALC
BY
VOL
PROOF
IRISH WHISKEY
A UNIQUE BLEND OF THE
FINEST IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP
& AMERICAN KNOW-HOW

17. HELLC
XXXXXXX

18. HellcatMaggie
PROOF
8040%
ALC
BY
VOL
IRISH WHISKEY
A UNIQUE TRIPLE-DISTILLED BLEND OF THE FINEST
IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP & AMERICAN KNOW-HOW.
COUNTY
LOUTH
–IRELAND–
HELLCAT
MAGGIE
HellcatMaggie
PROOF
8040%
ALC
BY
VOL
IRISH WHISKEY
A UNIQUE TRIPLE-DISTILLED BLEND OF THE FINEST
IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP & AMERICAN KNOW-HOW.
COUNTY
LOUTH
–IRELAND–

23. PLUG UGLY
The Plug Uglies were a notorious Five
Points gang. They were the sworn enemies
of the Dead Rabbit gang led by Bill “The
Butcher” Poole who was portrayed by
Daniel Day Lewis in Gangs of New York.

25. I R I S H W H I S K E Y
A unique Hibernian Spirit
40% ALC/VOL ( 80 PROOF )
I R I S H W H I S K E Y
A unique Hibernian Spirit
40% ALC/VOL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )DEAD RABBIT
The name of the gang led by Daniel Day
Lewis in Gangs of New York.

26. OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )
I R I S H • A M E R I C A N
W H I S K I E
A U N I Q U E
H I B E R N I A N S P I R I T
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
OL ( 80 PROOF )OL ( 80 PROOF )

27. NARROWBACK
A ‘narrowback’ is a derogatory
Irish-American term. It refers to
second-generation Irish-Americans.
And it implies that they are too soft
for hard physical labor.

28. MUCKER
MUCKER
A mucker is an Irish-American term
that refers to someone who digs
(in muck) for a living.

29. BE THE CRAZY ONE

30. 40% ALC/VOL 80 PROOF
WHISKEYUsing only the highest quality Irish malt
FINE IRISH
A Unique
Hibernian Spirit
40% ALC/VOL 80 PROOF
WHISKEYUsing only the highest quality Irish malt
FINE IRISH
A Unique
Hibernian Spirit
POOKAPOOKA
A pooka (Gaelic: puca) is a legendary
Irish mythological figure. It is a
somewhat mischievous spirit that
can take many physical forms.

31. 40% ALC/VOL 80 PROOF
WHISKEYUsing only the highest quality Irish malt
FINE IRISH
A Unique
Hibernian Spirit
POOKA
Fine Irish Whiskey
P O O K A W H I S K E Y . C O M
MMXV
A POOKA IS
A LEGENDARY
IRISH SPIRIT.
IT CAN BE A
FORCE FOR
GOOD OR IT
CAN BE AN
EVIL LITTLE
BASTARD.
MUCH LIKE
YOURSELF.
PRINT AD

32. POOKA
IRISH WHISKEYA unique Hibernian spirit.
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
POOKAIRISH WHISKEYA unique Hibernian spirit.
40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF)
POOKA

33. AQUA VITA HIBERNIA
Whiskey (Gaelic: Uisce Beatha) means
‘water of life’. Hibernia is the Latin
word for Ireland. Put those things
together and you get Aqua Vita
Hibernia. Or “Irish whiskey” in Latin.

34. 40
VOL
80
PROOF
40
VOL
80
PROOF

35. 40%ALC/VOL Smooth
‘THE WATER OF LIFE’
COUNTY LOUTH, IRELAND
HIBERNIAHIBERNIA
AQUA VITAAQUA VITAAQUA VITA
TRIPLE DISTILLED40%ALC/VOL
Smooth
‘THE WATER OF LIFE’
COUNTY LOUTH, IRELAND
HIBERNIAHIBERNIA
AQUA VITAAQUA VITAAQUA VITA
TRIPLE DISTILLED
HIBERNIAHIBERNIA

36. OUT IRISH THE IRISH

43. AND THE
WINNER WAS...

46. COASTERS

48. POSTER

49. POSTER

51. Cheers!If you’d like to taste Hell Cat Maggie, email
jbond@theescapepodagency.com.
He’ll send you a bottle.

52. 5
HM
©2015TheEscapePod,LLC.ThesematerialsarethepropertyofTheEscapePod,LLCandmaynotbereproducedordistributed
withoutwrittenconsentfromtheEscapePod,LLC.

53. 5
A Unique
Hibernian Spirit
GWEE
DORE

54. C/VOL
Smooth
‘THE WATER OF LIFE’
HIBERNIAHIBERNIA
AQUA VITAAQUA VITAAQUA VITA
TRIPLE DISTILLED
– BY WAY OF –
COUNTY PLOUTH
IRELAND
80
40%
ALC
BY
VOL
PROOF
IRISH WHISKEY
A UNIQUE BLEND OF THE
FINEST IRISH CRAFTMANSHIP
& AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
40%ALC/VOL
(
80
PROOF)
HIBERNIANSPIRIT
IRIS