In 1979, Loughran's Stores Ltd was founded just outside of Dundalk, in Haggardstown, Co. Louth, but the Loughran family has been farming the land since 1908.

The company's managing director, James Loughran, the third generation of his family to farm the land, explained to Agriland that originally, it was an "old Land Commission" farm - 40ac and a farmhouse.

In the 1970s, the grain store was built, and trading began with farmers in the local area, a number of which Loughran's still trade with today.

Loughran joined the business in 2002, with the goal of doing something "slightly different, but still within our skill set", especially with the company's wheat, oats, and barley.

In the early 2010s, while on holiday in Canada, Loughran became interested in Vancouver's craft beer scene, and the city's intake of malt barley per year.

Back home, he recognised that the Irish brewing and distilling industries were growing for smaller, independent businesses.

However, Loughran felt that there was limited opportunities for Irish brewers to access local malt - crushed, in 25kg bags - simply because the facilities were not there.

In 2014, the company started crushing a small amount of malt barley, and supplied it to breweries around Ireland.

Over the years, the company has diversified what it distributes, to offer brewers a full range of base malt, specialty malts, and hops.

The company continued to expand and followed a simple, but effective, business model - provide brewers and distillers with all the ingredients they need: a "one-stop shop", as Loughran himself puts it.

The Old Carrick Mill Distillery is 30km away from Loughran's Storehouse, just across the county border, in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.

The distillery was founded by Steven Murphy, a Monaghan native, and is supplied by Loughran's.

Murphy founded Old Carrick Mill 14 years ago, on the site of an old mill which leads back to the world-famous B&G vineyard in Bordeaux, France, and the Barton family.

Having traced the mill's roots all the way south of France, B&G gifted Murphy 50 of its finest red wine barrels, which he filled them with whiskey.

Despite its continental history, Old Carrick Distillery is rooted firmly in south Co. Monaghan. Throughout the premises, Murphy has links to the local area proudly on display.

A local expression is proudly etched into the bottles of whiskey: "From Carrickmacross to Crossmaglen, there are more rogues than honest men."

However, gin was Old Carrick Mill Distillery's first product.

Murphy explained that the only "law" in making gin is that the main botanical is juniper, and it has to be 40% alcohol.

As a result, Murphy began growing junipers on site in Carrickmacross so that he could produce 100% Irish gin further down the line.

He planted the trees "eight or nine" years ago, with mixed results.

According to Murphy, junipers are a "lazy" tree, and it could be 10 years before they put out a berry.

Once harvested, Murphy intends to use his junipers to make gin along with other Irish products, such as apples and blackberries.

"Who is to say gin has to taste a certain way?" Murphy asked.

"It has to have junipers in it, but everything else can be different."