The concept for a special Irish whiskey dedicated to the 69th was the brainchild of Colonel (Ret) James Tierney, a former officer in the unit and a Trustee of its non-profit Historical Trust. Having also served for ten years as the 69th Regimental Historian, the idea came to him during one of his visits to Ireland. “With our strong Irish heritage, members of the 69th are invited to Waterford, Ireland each year to participate in the annual Tricolour Celebration, which marks the creation in 1848 of the flag that would eventually become the Irish Republic’s National flag,” explains Tierney. “It’s been my honor to attend the celebration frequently and a few years ago, while enjoying the festivities with a taste of local whiskey, it occurred to me that the Fighting 69th should have its own Irish whiskey.” Sourced from Irish distilleries, The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey is triple distilled in copper pot stills and cask-aged in once-used bourbon and sherry barrels on Ireland’s southern coast.