Welsh actor and Hollywood megastar Matthew Rhys is bringing some Celtic rivalry to St. Patrick’s Day this year – all in the name of promoting Welsh whisky, culture, and heritage.
In a tongue-in-cheek new video for Penderyn Distillery, Rhys pokes fun at the famous Irish holiday celebrated on 17th March 2024.
“St. Patrick introduced whisky to the Scottish. You know why? Because St. Patrick was Welsh!” proclaims the Emmy-nominated actor with his trademark mischievous grin.
The humorous video message from the star is causing quite the stir, with both the Irish and Welsh communities taking the banter in good fun. After all, Rhys’ bold claim highlights the deep Celtic connections between the two cultures.
Not only does the actor who starred in Brothers & Sisters, The Americans and Perry Mason cheekily assert that St. Patrick hailed from Wales, but he goes a step further by crediting the Welsh with gifting whisky itself to the Scots and Irish.
Matthew said, “I relished promoting Penderyn’s fantastic whiskies while celebrating my Welsh culture and having a bit of craic with the Irish,” said Rhys, who has embraced his role as a passionate global Penderyn ambassador. “Though if push came to shove, I’d back up my claim St. Patrick was one of us!”
“As proud Welshmen, both Matthew and our team here at Penderyn couldn’t resist having a bit of fun at Ireland’s expense this St. Paddy’s Day,” said Stephen Davies, CEO of Penderyn Distillery.
“Though we may be lesser-known than the Irish and Scots in the whisky world, we have a whisky heritage here in Wales dating back over 100 years that deserves celebration.”
Indeed, Penderyn is carrying on that proud tradition as the first distillery to produce Welsh whisky in over a century when it opened in the Brecon Beacons region in 2000. Using pure spring water from the beautiful Welsh countryside along with a unique copper still, Penderyn has quickly earned a reputation for exceptional craft whiskies, and now has distilleries in Swansea and Llandudno.
Winning over 120 gold and other top international awards, Penderyn’s smooth yet complex drams like the Madeira Finish and Sherrywood have put Welsh whisky squarely on the global map.
And who better to represent this world-class Welsh spirit than Welshman Rhys, an A-list talent who has remained unapologetically proud of his roots even as his Hollywood stardom has soared?
“As a proud Welshman myself, I absolutely relished the opportunity to promote Penderyn’s fantastic whiskies while also celebrating my culture and having a bit of craic with our Irish friends,” said Rhys, adding with a wink, “Though if push came to shove, I’d have to back up my cheeky claim that St. Patrick was indeed one of us!”
Rhys has been heroically flying the flag for Wales and its resurgent whisky scene as a global ambassador for Penderyn. From appearing at Penderyn events to promoting their whisky on his social media and in interviews, the Perry Mason lead has embraced his role with typical Welsh passion.
So while the Irish will surely be downing pints of Guinness and shouting “Sláinte!” on St. Patrick’s Day this March 17th, the Welsh will be cheekily clinking glasses of Penderyn whisky and toasting their very own Celtic saint and heritage – as reimagined by talented Matthew Rhys.