Two Shores Launches Paladar Mezcal Cask Finish Irish Rum Ahead of World Rum Day
Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by Federico Hernandez
Launching ahead of World Rum Day on the 11th of July, the Two Shores x Paladar 10 Year Old Mezcal Cask Finish Irish Rum is the latest expression from Two Shores. Created in collaboration with Cork’s Paladar, the limited-edition release combines innovative cask maturation with hospitality expertise to create a rum that is as layered in flavour as it is in story.
World Rum Day on the 11th July celebrates the world’s second largest growing spirits category, and few Irish brands are marking the occasion in more fitting style than Two Shores. The Irish rum producer has unveiled the Two Shores x Paladar 10 Year Old Mezcal Cask Finish Irish Rum, a limited-edition collaboration with Cork’s celebrated Latin American restaurant and rum destination, Paladar, showcasing how long-standing hospitality partnerships can inspire genuine innovation.
More than simply another cask-matured expression, the release is the culmination of a relationship that has grown alongside the brand. From the earliest days of Two Shores, the team at Paladar recognised its potential, becoming early supporters of the rum and introducing it to guests looking to discover something different within the premium spirits category.
That relationship extended well beyond the venue itself. Last year, the Paladar team joined Two Shores for a guest bar takeover at The Boundary in London, showcasing bespoke cocktails to an international audience and demonstrating the versatility of the brand behind the bar. Through collaborations like these, ideas were exchanged, flavour profiles explored and conversations sparked around creating a rum that reflected the creativity of both teams.
The collaboration wasn’t simply about producing a limited-edition bottling. From the outset, the ambition was to create a rum that would have a genuine place behind the bar, a spirit with enough complexity to enjoy neat, but one specifically crafted to shine in premium cocktails.
There were few better collaborators for the project than Paladar. Under the direction of owner Andy Ferreira, whose acclaimed cocktail bar Cask has earned international recognition, the venue has established itself as one of Ireland’s leading destinations for premium rum and Latin American spirits. Alongside Head Bartender Akram Bendjeddou, the team has built a drinks programme centred on exploration and craftsmanship, making Paladar the natural partner for a release designed with bartenders as much as rum enthusiasts in mind.
“The best collaborations don’t start with a product brief – they start with a conversation,” says Jason Kidd, founder of Two Shores. “Paladar has been a supporter of Two Shores since we launched, so creating something together felt like a natural progression. Andy and Akram brought a hospitality perspective that challenged us to think differently. It became an exchange of ideas around flavour, cask selection and the guest experience, with everyone bringing their own expertise to the project. The end result is something none of us could have created on our own.”
That collaborative approach shaped every aspect of the release, beginning with one of the most important decisions of all – the cask. Rather than selecting a conventional barrel, the team chose a mezcal cask, an unusual choice for rum finishing.
Mezcal is a distilled spirit made from the heart of the agave plant in Mexico and is renowned for its earthy character and signature smoky flavour, developed by roasting the agave before distillation. Those characteristics made the cask an intriguing vessel for maturation, offering the opportunity to introduce subtle layers of smoke and complexity while allowing the rum itself to remain the hero.
Before receiving the rum, this cask had also matured Irish whiskey, imparting gentle notes of vanilla, spice and toasted oak to the wood. Distilled from sustainably sourced sugar cane juice in Panama, the rum undergoes eight years of tropical aging before travelling to Ireland for a further two years of continental finishing. It is first finished in a single malt Irish whiskey cask before being transferred to the mezcal cask, which had also previously held Irish whiskey. The result is a remarkably layered expression, shaped by the combined influence of mezcal, Irish whiskey and premium Panamanian rum.
“We wanted to create a rum that would reward every way of enjoying it,” says Kidd. “It’s complex enough to sip neat, but it was also designed with cocktails in mind. The extra two years in Ireland gave us the time to let the influences of the mezcal cask and the Irish whiskey it had previously held integrate naturally, creating a spirit that’s layered, balanced and incredibly versatile.”
Rich notes of caramel and brown sugar sit at the heart of the spirit, complemented by soft vanilla, toasted oak and gentle spice from the whiskey-seasoned oak. The mezcal’s influence is deliberately restrained, adding a whisper of smoke and earthy complexity that enhances rather than dominates the rum. Crafted without colourings, additives or chill filtration, it has been designed to be enjoyed neat, over ice or behind the bar in premium cocktails.
The rum will also take centre stage on Paladar’s new cocktail menu in The Jungle Bird, a modern rum classic that pairs the Paladar Mezcal Cask Finish with Campari, pineapple, fresh lime, demerara sugar and tiki bitters. The serve showcases the rum’s rich caramel character, balanced by bright citrus, gentle bitterness and the subtle smoky complexity developed during its two-year maturation in Ireland.
Building on a Spirit of Innovation
While the Paladar collaboration introduces a distinctive new expression, it also reflects the philosophy that underpins the wider Two Shores portfolio. At the heart of the range is Superior Irish Rum, the brand’s flagship expression, which spends eight years maturing in Panama before being finished in Ireland. Around that foundation, Two Shores has developed a series of
innovative cask-matured releases, including Amarone, Oloroso Sherry and Peated expressions, each exploring how carefully selected casks can add depth and complexity while preserving the character of the rum itself.
For the hospitality industry, the collaboration demonstrates how the strongest partnerships are built over time. Rather than a one-off product launch, the Paladar Mezcal Cask Finish is the result of years of shared experiences, mutual support and a willingness to challenge convention. It also highlights the increasingly important role that bartenders and hospitality professionals play in shaping premium spirits, bringing their expertise and understanding of consumer tastes into the product development process.
As the industry marks World Rum Day, the Two Shores x Paladar 10 Year Old Mezcal Cask Finish Irish Rum is a fitting celebration of how far premium rum has evolved. Combining eight years of tropical maturation in Panama with a further two years in Ireland, and inspired by the shared expertise of producers and hospitality professionals, the release captures the innovation, craftsmanship and collaboration that continue to shape Ireland’s growing premium rum category.
