NEW YORK, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- For the Irish, the "gift of gab" is as much a part of their lore as the Blarney Stone. Unfortunately, according to the US Census, only 34 million Americans can claim Irish ancestry, and therefore are lucky enough to have inherited this valuable gift. For the rest of the country left searching for the right words on St. Patrick's Day, Colum Egan, Master Distiller of Bushmills(R) Irish Whiskey, shares some of his favorite Irish toasts at 1-800-BUSHMILLS.
"The most important aspect of any toast is the words themselves," says Egan. "The toasts are often short poems, mixing great tidings with a bit of whimsy and a large dose of Irish charm."
Egan also draws from his experience as Master Distiller of Ireland's oldest distillery to tap into authentic Irish sentiments. Some of Egan's favorites are:
May the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, Fill your heart with gladness, That stays forever after. May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.
Of course, the right words are only part of the effort, and Egan provides the following advice when asked to deliver the night's salutations:
-- All good things must come to an end: Close with a dose of Gaelic. Slainte (pronounced slahn-chuh) means "to your health" and is the Irish equivalent to "Cheers!" -- Practice. But not too much: Prepare ahead of time, but don't rehearse so much that you don't sound natural. -- Loose lips, sink ships: St. Patrick's Day is a time to celebrate, but drink responsibly to maintain your composure during toasting time.
To hear more tips and a full list of Egan's top ten toasts, call 1-800-BUSHMILLS this St. Patrick's Day season.
About Bushmills(R)
Today, Bushmills(R) Irish Whiskey enjoys a worldwide reputation as a uniquely authentic Irish whiskey with a rich tradition and heritage that has endured for nearly four centuries. Bushmills is a premium Irish whiskey, produced, aged and distributed at the Ireland's oldest distillery, located in the town that shares its name which was first granted a license to distill in 1608. Triple-distilled Bushmills is made with the finest malted Irish barley and pure Irish water, and is the only Irish whiskey brand that offers a full range of blends (standard and deluxe) and single malts -- all of which share distinct Bushmills characteristics: Bushmills(R) Original; Black Bush(R), Bushmills(R) 10-Year-Old Single Malt, Bushmills(R) 16-Year-Old Single Malt and the rare Bushmills(R) 21-Year-Old Single Malt.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.
Bushmills Irish Whiskey
