Distiller Carmen O’Neal and celeb chef Matt Tebbutt to put on clinics in Montenotte

‘Cocktail Carmen’ is an entrepreneurial, energetic Canadian making a serious stir in the British distilling industry, and now she’s coming to Cork’s Montenotte Hotel, writes Gemma Fullam

Flavour and Flair: Celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt and spirits expert Carmen O’Neal bring a night of entertainment, elegant dining and innovative cocktails to The Montenotte Hotel Cork on September 10,2025

‘My mom always said, if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself,” says London-based distilling maven Carmen O’Neal.

Doing it yourself started earlier than most for the Canadian. When, at age five, she wanted a bicycle, the response from her mom Rae was: “How are you going to make money to get yourself a bike? Because we’re not going to just buy you a bike.”