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Modern Botany is an Irish skincare brand that will change how you view the power of nature. With their headquarters situated on Ireland’s stunning Wild Atlantic Way, Modern Botany is in a prime location to deliver the best of what nature has to offer. Their range of products are handcrafted from the most powerful natural ingredients the world has to offer, and are made to work with your body on the deepest level. The brand is known for for their aromas an multi-purpose oils, but their award-winning deodorant is what dominates their range. Combining ingredients like witch hazel, lavender, coriander, cedar wood and clove – the product is a clear liquid that is easily prayed on your underarms and left to do its job. Unisex in fragrance, anyone can use the product, which helps eliminate odor and increases freshness. We hosted a beautiful event recently at Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland and each one of the 28 guests were given a bottle to try. With activities like kayaking, fishing and archery on the agenda over a three-day weekend, each person would be in need of some sort of underarm protection. Modern Botany became the go-to for this, and each person absolutely feel in love with the product. You must try it for yourself – especially the travel size fora all the jetsetters out there.

Field Day Ireland was born from the planting of one seed – deep in the Irish countryside. A homegrown, natural-minded operation, Field Day produces some of the most stunning candles, soaps, creams and other products that you can incorporate into your daily life to bring a little bit of Ireland’s breathtaking countryside, indoors. We hosted a stunning event recently at Lismore Castle, in Lismore, Ireland, and wanted to offer each guest the opportunity to scent their space with the fragrance of Ireland. Being that Lismore Castle is in the heart of County Waterford’s glorious rolling hills, these candles were perfect to help set the tone for the three-day weekend event and give each guest something special to take home. Field Day Ireland offers scents like: Linen, Sea, Field and Fireside – which all have the power to bring harmony to your space and inject a little mood into the air. The company is committed to keeping their production as natural as possible, so you won’t find harmful ingredients in their products. Instead you’ll feel the love and attention to detail put into their creation. When in Ireland, or even when not – light one up. They ship internationally.

Waterford Crystal is a brand that has withstood the test of time, namely due to their commitment to quality, design and function. Named after the Irish city of Waterford and with roots that date back to 1783 near Merchant’s Quay in that town, the company has gone through several iterations, but has always stood for luxury throughout the global crystal marketplace. William and George Penrose had a vision to create the finest quality crystal, drinking vessels and decorative objects for the home. And, they succeeded. The company has enjoyed incredible success over the years and even during its lowest point, found a way to spring back with the help of Czech designer Miroslav Havel. We hosted an event at the stunning Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland – located at the Western line of County Waterford. The event was an intimate affair that showcased the best of Ireland and its stunning countryside over a three day weekend for 28 guests. We looked to Waterford to help give our guests a taste of the country, something special to take home in remembrance of the celebration and their time in Ireland.  We worked with the brand and selected something simple and beautiful, the Elegance Champagne Trumpet Flutes . These flutes were perfect as they projected an air of regality and celebration – in the perfect duo gift set. They are hand-made with a deep, plunging V-shape and pulled stem. We asked Waterford to personalize the flutes to reflect an element of the event – and they helped us conceptualize a small stamp, a crown which was engraved on the base of the flutes as a small remembrance of the weekend. The crown reflected the incredible history and royal ties to Lismore, which was an important theme. Waterford has a fantastic design team that works with clients to conceptualize anything one can imagine to engrave on their purchase. The process if easy and the items, once engraved, will reflect and piece of “you” for a lifetime. We served champagne on arrival in these glasses and throughout the weekend – what more appropriate than to drink from a champagne flute created with centuries’-old heritage, in a location just miles away on the Irish coast? Waterford not only offers crystal in every form imaginable, but expanded lines of tabletop accessories to dress your daily life and special occasions with the most beautiful items imaginable.

Outside of the picturesque Istrian village of Motovun is a family-owned and operated vineyard that produces a uniquely Croatian red wine variety, Teran. The three grape varieties grown on the vineyard: Malvasia Istriana, Teran and Muscat are all unique and different – but the Teran stands out as a winner and homage to its mother country where the grape thrives. Family values and tradition are the key attributes of Benvenuti wines. They are the foundation upon which the vineyard produces their wines. The grape varieties reflect the abundance of the Benvenuti vineyards, located in several specific “micro-locations”. One of these, San Salvatore, is at the heart of the vineyard’s varieties. The terraced configuration and the white soil, along with the micro-climate, give the grapes character which translates to very mineral, fresh wines, fully expressive of the characteristics of the varieties. These characteristics are seen in all of their wines, from basic to aged Malvasias to harmonious Terans. We hosted an event recently at the stunning Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland. The elegant and infinite affair saw 28 guests, all red wine lovers, who were introduced to different wine varieties from across the globe. Benvenuti offered their Teran and it was a hit. One of the key Croatian red varieties, and the most important Istrian red variety, Teran holds a special place in the Benvenuti wine history. This wine comes from the vineyards in Španjole, at 300 meters above sea. Fresh and complex, Teran has a harmonious structure and acidity that provides for lots of aging potential. The Teran, from 2013, was aged in oak for 24 months, following a 20-day maceration and only 6,000 bottles were produced. The Teran was served with local Irish lamb, grass-fed beef and small Cornish game hens. Benvenuti’s family-run operation and their small-batch wines were the perfect complement to the event at Lismore.

An Irish cream conceptualized by a family that hails from a long line of Irish dairy farmers, Coole Swan is, by far, the top Irish cream of 2019. Infused with love, passion and the plight to select only the best ingredients for their customers, Coole Swan is immediately different. This award-winning Irish cream blends single malt whiskey with Belgian white chocolate and rich cream sourced from the best farms in Ireland. We held a beautiful event recently at Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland. The magical setting of County Waterford in a castle built in the 10th Century put everyone in the mood to indulge in the best Ireland has to offer. Coole Swan was the obvious choice for the be served as the signature Irish cream during the three-day affair. Each guest was given a bottle in their room and more were on hand for after dinner drinks or an afternoon delight. Their are many ways to drink Coole Swan but chilled over ice is best. Available throughout Ireland and internationally, once experienced, you won’t want anything else – just a friendly word of warning.

Blackwater Distillery is an award-winning, boutique operation situation along River Blackwater in Southern Ireland. A labor of love where no detail has gone unnoticed, Blackwater Distillery churns-out some of the most incredible gin and vodka available in Europe today. We hosted an intimate and luxurious event recently at Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland and looked to them to provide a taste of Ireland, the best gin and vodka the country has to offer. Conveniently located near Lismore Castle, the distillery made perfect sense. Not only is it geographically close to Lismore, but the reputation made it hard to overlook. Founded by Peter Mulryan and Kieran Curtin, Blackwater Distillery prides themselves on being a handcrafted operation. In fact, the only automated machine in their distillery is the coffee grinder. Each bottle is poured by hand and Irish spirits and botanicals are used in the gin’s creation. The two men used the history of the area where the distillery is located, interestingly where the majority of exotic spices and ingredients used in gin changed hands and sent around the globe a few centuries ago. The area is strongly tied to gin making and the dissemination of exotic spiced in general, including the use of River Blackwater as a highway for shipping. This is why a map of the river and area can be seen on every bottle. Blackwater Distillery played around with various ingredients they found in gin-making archives from the area and that experimentation helped shape the products they offer today. The lineup includes small-batch Blackwater No5 Irish gin, Juniper Cask gin and Wexford Strawberry Irish gin (which boasts 13 botanicals, including strawberries – with no added sugar or sweetness). Each one of these gins is unique and perfect, in every way. The distillery also offers Boyle’s gin – named after Boyle’s Law creator Robert Boyle, who was born in Lismore Castle. We absolutely love their Barry’s Tea Gin – which combines fine Irish gin with a bit of freshly brewed Irish tea. Blackwater Distillery offers a premium vodka, some of the best we’ve ever tasted, but it’s currently only available in Finland (worth the trip). But, for now, those without plans of traveling to Helsinki can enjoy their fabulous gin offerings. We promise after tasting what they have to offer, you won’t want anything else.

Dungarvan Brewing Company is a micro-brewery in Southeastern Ireland. Producing some of the country’s most unique and delicious beers, they put their attention and efforts on purity – keeping their beers in their unadulterated, natural form. The beer isn’t filtered, isn’t pasteurized and is naturally carbonated so there is minimum interference with it between raw ingredients and finished product. Dungarvan always starts with the best quality ingredients including Irish barley malt, full leaf hop cones and the limestone rich water of West Waterford – which adds a mineral component all its own. The brewery was founded 8 years ago and has quickly grown a stellar reputation. Head Brewer Cormac strives for quality and consistency across every stage of the brewing process, working to ensure that each bottle achieves the high standards he has set. The brewhouse is a 6bbl plant made by PBC Brewery Installations , the UK’s top micro brewery installer and is ideally suited to the bottle-conditioned traditional ales that they brew. Alongside the brewhouse Dungarvan has a 20L pilot kit which is used for small batches for festivals or one-offs and experimentation on the part of the brewers. Every beer which bears the Dungarvan Brewing Company mark is guaranteed to have been brewed and bottled, casked or kegged on-site in the brewery in Dungarvan. Their range of beers include over 15 varieties that are given names like: Greenway Pale Ale, Curious Orange and Black Rock Irish Stout. Each beer has a story and a reason for its name, usually tied to something in the local environment. We hosted a stunning event recently at Lismore Castle, in Lismore, Ireland. The intimate affair saw 28 guests that were brought to Lismore to experience the best Ireland has to offer. Dungarvan Brewing Company is a short 20-minute drive away, so the beer is indeed local – and something each guest experienced. The impressive range of beers were on hand for tasting and sampling, accompanying selected snacks and dinners of local lamb and beef. Each beer made an impact and surprised guests with the rich, intensity of the flavor profiles. It’s evident that Dungarvan Brewing Company knows what they’re doing. In the short time they’ve been in operation, they have surely mastered their art and made many people a fan. We are fans for life and anyone traveling to Ireland should seek them out.

Most people are no stranger to Aperol , made famous through the Aperol Spritz – a popular summertime cocktail and taste of Italy consumed the world over. But, what makes this Italian-made apértif so special? What else can you do with it? And why has its legacy withstood the test of time. The truth is Aperol is unique, if nothing else. There really is nothing else like it and those who drink it, love it. We hosted an event at Lismore Castle in beautiful Lismore, Ireland recently and Aperol was on the drink menu. Most of the guests were familiar with it, but it was a time to explore exactly what could be done with this refreshing and special beverage. Aperol is owned by the Campari company and was created in 1919. It’s composition is a mix of bitter and sweet oranges, rhubarb as well as a secret blend of herbs and roots. There is 11% alcohol content, which makes it perfect to mix. Over the course of the three-day weekend, we used Aperol to offer guests Aperol Sprits’ in the garden (a perfect mix of Aperol, prosecco, soda water and orange), as well as served it on the rocks with a splash of soda water. Some mixed it with a bit of bourbon and lemon juice on the rocks. Others sipped shots of the apértif in a shot glass. The bitterness of the Aperol is versatile and goes well with an array of surprising things. Aperol is sold around the world and is the perfect bottle to spice up any gathering, party or lazy afternoon.

Crane is synonymous with luxury and individuality – period. Founded in 1770, a few miles from Boston, under the name Liberty Paper Mill, the business began just two years after the British occupied the town. The Liberty Paper Mill, now Crane, was defiant, strong and founded with purpose – themes that would carry throughout its more than 200 year story. Uniquely American, Stephen Crane and his family continued the business and created personalized notes, stationery and paper which has been used over the years by everyone from Paul Revere to The Roosevelts and Jimmy Fallon. The 100% cotton paper, a staple and trademark of the brand, has been used to send notes of importance – love, adventure, sorrow, self-discovery and travel throughout the world. Crane is, by far, one of the most globally recognized brands for elegance and personalization in an era when much of that has been lost through the digital age. We held an elegant and intimate event at the stunning Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland recently. An affair for 28 guests, Crane helped us create personalized stationery – which included note cards, writing paper and envelopes, to reflect the event’s royal theme and the castle’s rich history. As fine hotels often do, we wanted to leave something special in each of our guests’ rooms – something to remind them of the event and something they could use to correspond with each other, family and friends who were not present. There was no more perfect place to look to but Crane. The designers at Crane took the time to work with us, conceptualizing layout and materials, color and placement. When working with clients, Crane often asks for input, but they can take any idea and run with it as well. For this event, we wanted something specific – a golden crown logo that we designed to signify a stamp for the event, the castle’s name, the event dates and other personal touches. We chose a thick paper stock in ecru with gold lettering. Lismore Castle has roots that date back to 1185, so it was important for us to work with a paper and stationery company with historical roots. Crane was the perfect choice. The collaboration and design process for our personalized stationery was easy, and the product was delivered quickly to Ireland from the United States. The midnight blue boxes containing the stationery were expertly wrapped and the each stack of envelopes, papers and cards fit just right. Unwrapping them felt like a very special Christmas morning. Aside from personalized stationery, Crane specializes in every kind of invitation you can imagine, thank you’s, announcements, business cards and more. A personalized note or piece of stationery says a thousand words, even before anything is written on it. Crane proved this to us, our guests and will always be the leader in luxury paper.

Villas Hvar is unlike any other luxury-minded villa rental service in Croatia, it’s the best. A boutique agency located on the idyllic island of Hvar, planted just two hours from the coast of Split, in the Adriatic Sea. Villas Hvar is the ultimate resource for travelers looking for a Croatian holiday, but choose to feel completely at home with the run of a home for themselves, their friends and their family. We had heard about the beauty of Hvar, this famous island that has crept-up on “must-see” travel destinations lists across many other publications. We have visited Croatia many times, but never made it to Hvar – this time was different. We brought our team from New York to Croatia for a retreat in the final days of summer, which stretch longer here than anywhere else. On Hvar, you can maximize the stunning weather and warm waters from April through October. We contacted Villas Hvar, because of their stellar reputation, and they recommended we rent beautiful Villa Maia . Villa Maia is perched on a hill above the tiny village of Sveta Nedilja. The charming village is home to a little marina run by the famous Zlatan Otok winery, a restaurant, bakery and fabulous little beaches. We worked with the team at Villas Hvar to coordinate everything before our arrival. The team at the agency was phenomenal and offered to help us organize groceries, food, sightseeing trips, housekeeping services and even picked us up at the ferry after crossing from Split. The villa itself is absolutely stunning and a true gem on this tiny island. The villa features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a private pool, jacuzzi, terrace and sleeps 8 people. It’s a dream. The interior is cozy, comfortable and the perfect place to sit back and enjoy the view of all the sail boats drifting by. The team at Villas Hvar made it clear to us that they were available at any hour. If we needed a recommendation, they were there. If we needed an escort to a restaurant in another village or town, they were there. It was fantastic. We stayed three nights at Villa Maia and each day got better and better. The serenity of this place is really not replicated anywhere else. As someone on a retreat, a holiday or short vacation – it’s important to choose a place where you feel comfortable. This was it. Villa Maia was the perfect spot to base ourselves to see the island, explore the towns and sample the incredible restaurants that dot the coastline. We especially loved Zlatan Otok, a mere 5-minute drive down the hill. If we weren’t exploring the island, we were poolside with a glass of Croatian Graševina (crisp Croatian white wine). Our housekeeper came every morning to provide breakfast items, make the beds, launder a few items and clean the bathrooms – all we had to do was relax. After three days here and spending many of those days by the pool at Villa Maia, or visiting one of the local beaches, we realized that Hvar is just perfect. There are many islands in Croatia but Hvar is a mix of quiet serenity with exciting nightlife and culinary options for those looking for that. Villas Hvar made this possible, helped put us in a comfortable state of mind and had access to the best the island has to offer. And, at the end of the day, all of that is priceless.

Zlatan Otok , the incredible winery and restaurant on the tiny Croatian island of Hvar is our favorite spot to stop and watch the world go by. Established in 1986, the winery was founded by one man, who turned his passion and love of Hvar into a business that has drawn much attention and accolades from around the world. Situated near the tiny town of Sveta Nedjelja, the restaurant is flanked by a beautiful little marina, and is an incredible spot to taste the vineyard’s offerings and sample true Dalmatian cuisine. Zlatan Otok’s vineyards cascade down the steep mountains of Hvar and into the sea. The surrounding area is littered with lavender fields, tiny villages and olive groves with views of the open Adriatic as far as the eye can see. The entire operation is very casual, so it’s great to spend the morning swimming in the turquoise waters of the sea, and then head to the marina for plates of fresh cheese, meat and seafood that is paired perfectly with the vineyard’s wines. The vineyards on Hvar are only a small part of those used in this operation. On the Croatian mainland, the areas of Makarska and Šibenik contain more vines owned by Zlatan Otok and help make all the varieties they offer. From deep, rich reds, to refreshing Rosé, crispy whites, like Pošip, and more – each bottle is delicious. I tasted all of their wines and there wasn’t one bad variety. When visiting Hvar I suggest spending time here at Zlatan Otok. Not only can you pop-in for a wine tasting, but you can have dinner, some of the best seafood on the island, at their marina-front restaurant. You just cannot miss this experience while on Hvar.

Stepping aboard a Croatia Airlines flight to the beautiful country of Croatia, is your first introduction to the warm hospitality that exists here. Celebrating 30 years in the air and offering an expanded route network that can take you non-stop from numerous European capitals to the city of Zagreb, or one of the stunning coastal cities like Split, Pula or Dubrovnik – you won’t find a better connected option. The aircrafts in Croatia Airlines’ fleet feature Airbus 320’s 319’s and Dash 8-Q400’s. The smaller of the aircrafts typically traverse Croatian airspace, zipping you from Zagreb to sun-soaked cities Dubrovnik, Split and Rijeka. The larger Airbus aircrafts take you further afield to cities like Dublin, London, Paris, Milan and more. I’ve flown Croatia Airlines numerous times and what I absolutely love about it are the simple interiors, stunning in-flight magazine and a well-branded Croatian experience through wines, non-alcoholic beverages, food and more. The flight attendants are always lovely, kind and helpful – and the flights smooth. Croatia is an year-round destination. You might find yourself heading right to the coast on the Croatia Airlines for the summer, or booking a quick jaunt from home to Zagreb for the famous Christmas markets. Whatever the reason you’re traveling to Croatia, Croatia Airlines is the only airline you should fly for a truly Croatian