In recent years, celebrities have become increasingly drawn to putting their name, through investment or creation, to various types of alcohol.
Ryan Reynolds has Aviation Gin, Kendall Jenner has 818 Tequila, Matthew McConaughey has Wild Turkey Longbranch Bourbon, Bruno Mars has SelvaRey Rum, Kate Hudson has King St. Vodka, Jay-Z has Armand de Brignac Champagne - the list goes on.
Now it seems that we can add an Irish name to that growing directory. Entrepreneur, lifestyle influencer, and mum of three Pippa O'Connor has added istil38 Pot Still Irish Vodka to her collection of spinning plates, both investing in the brand and stepping into the role of creative director.
"In terms of sales, vodka is the biggest spirit in Ireland," says O'Connor. "With istil 38, our ambition is to show people that we have a premium Irish alternative to the industrially produced multinational brands. We make it through traditional means, but our sensibilities for the serves are firmly in the modern era."
While attending the press launch, held in the beautiful surroundings of Dublin's Hang Dai, O'Connor said that she was excited about the prospects of her latest venture, and said she was proud to be supporting an Irish product alongside industry veterans Shane Davey, John Reynolds and Niall O'Dwyer.
"I've been asked to be involved in so many ventures over the years, but it just wasn't sitting right or wasn't right for me," she explains, "but when I heard what the vision was and saw how eager they were to succeed, I was just really excited by it."
As well as being drawn to the local aspect of the business, O'Connor says that the drinks industry in particular brings "so many opportunities" with it.
"Obviously what I do with my other businesses [Poco by Pippa, Up Cosmetics] is quite different, but I hope my attention to detail and my own experience can be brought to this. A female touch and a female eye is always good, especially when you want to develop a brand to speak to the female audience."
As well as pursuing new ventures in business, O'Connor has also been finding her feet as a mother of three, having welcomed her third son, Billy, just six months ago.
"It's been wild," she laughs. "It's been a very busy whirlwind, but I've been able to do so much from home, I'm not in the office every day and I have an amazing team in place that work in all aspects of the brand. I'm only one person so a huge part of it is having the team."
"I never switch off my mind," she adds, "but I love that, I love being creative and thinking about what we can do next. I'm really lucky that I don't need to be sitting at a desk so I can be on the move, picking up the boys from swimming or dropping them to school and all those things."
"I feel very privileged that I can choose where I want to be and when," she continues. "My idea of balance might be someone else's nightmare, some people might hate the headaches that I have, but it works for me and it excites me. It's what I love."
If you are affected by any of the topics raised in this article, you can visit Ask About Alcohol.
