.png)
Image by The Irish Road Trip
We are currently experiencing the third Golden Age of Whisky. After a slump and closures of Scottish distilleries in the 1980s, for the first time, we are seeing several distilleries being established and starting to produce whisky for the growing market. This trend has reached all corners of the world, from Australia and America to India and Europe.
Similarly, Irish whiskey has experienced a new golden age with growing interest towards small producers and the rekindling of closed distilleries. It may be hard to imagine, but throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, there were more than 1,000 recorded Irish whiskey producers, many of whom were illegal, with very little surviving information available. In the 1890s, there were 28 whiskey distilleries in Ireland, but over the years, many of them closed, with only two distilleries, Bushmills and Midleton, surviving into the 1970s. They were both owned by Irish Distillers, meaning they had a monopoly on the industry with only one producer.
The first new distillery established in the late 20th century was Cooleys in 1987. But jump on to December 2019, the Irish Whiskey Association had 32 working distilleries on their records. In a mere 30 years, more than 25 distilleries have been established. Although many of them are still too young to offer their own whiskey for sale, we are seeing new brands hitting the market. So, how do you sell whiskey under your brand without having a distillery or stock old enough to be called whiskey? You outsource it.
Image by Flaviar
There are only a few Irish whiskey distilleries with older stock in their warehouses. As a result, many brands and distilleries that want to bottle age-statement whiskies source their spirits from these industry veterans. However, before distilleries start producing their unique take on whiskey, one may wonder how versatile the selection of Irish whiskey can be. Just like many American distilleries, Irish distilleries can produce different character whiskies under one roof and do it well.centres
As of 2022, there are 40 distilleries in Ireland with state-of-the-art facilities and visitor centers, and more are on the way. However, only time will tell how many will survive the competition.
18. Slane Distillery
29. Boann Distillery
36. Hinch Distillery
38. Micil Distillery
39. Killarney
What is Irish Whiskey?
Image by Brewery Hops
Irish whiskey is subject to many similar regulations as Scottish whisky, although there is sometimes debate about which came first. To be labeled as Irish whiskey, it must be aged for a minimum of three years in wooden casks, distilled, bottled, and labeled in Ireland, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. If an age statement is displayed on the bottle, it must represent the age of the youngest whiskey used.
There are four types of Irish whiskey: Single Malt, Single Pot Still, Grain, and Blended. Single Malts are made using malted barley and produced in one distillery using pot stills to double or triple-distil the spirit. This method is similar to the production of Scottish whiskies. Irish Pot Still distillation differs from single malts since it also allows the use of unmalted barley - which results in a slightly rougher character due to the inclusion of raw grain material in the mash.
Grain whiskey can be made using any grain and is distilled using a Coffey, also known as a continuous still, resulting in a lighter and more neutral type of spirit. Irish grain whiskey is mainly produced to be part of blends and is rarely bottled and sold by itself, although some examples do exist. Blended whiskies are a combination of all three other types of whiskies listed above and are the most common type of whiskey found on both Irish and Scottish whiskey shelves.
Image by Buda Photography
Blends made using whiskies from different distilleries are not as common in the Irish whiskey industry compared to the Scottish industry. It's more common for Irish whiskey to use single malts, single pot stills, and grain whiskies produced under one roof, instead of using many different single malts and grain whiskies from multiple distilleries and whisky producers. This tradition may have originated in the past when there were only two operational whiskey distilleries in Ireland and limited options were available.
Many people believe that Irish whiskey is softer and more palatable than Scottish whiskies, possibly due to the triple distillation process commonly used in the production of Irish whiskies. This extra distillation results in a lighter and more neutral spirit, even in single malts.
Operational Irish Whiskey Distilleries in 2022
We should take a closer look at the 40 Irish distilleries that were recorded and recognized by the Irish Whiskey Association in 2022. Although we are aware of new distilleries in planning, we have decided to only include the ones that are currently in operation.
We have chosen an easy-to-read format to establish basic facts about the distilleries we gathered by cross-checking the information that was made available.
Image by Irish Whiskey Association
1. Bushmills Distillery
Location: Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Founded: 1608
Owned by: Casa Cuervo
Brands: Bushmills Single Malt, Bushmills
Bushmills, one of the oldest whiskey distilleries in the world, was first granted a license to distil in 1608. The distillery has faced many closures over the years, but it has been fully operational since it was rebuilt in 1885 following a fire. Today, the Old Bushmills distillery is owned by Casa Cuervo and is one of the major producers of Irish whiskey worldwide.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
2. Kilbeggan Distillery
Location: Aghamore, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, Ireland
Founded: 2007
Owned by: Beam Suntory
Brands: Kilkerran, Locke's
The Kilbeggan Distillery was granted the first license to distil in 1757. However, the current distillery was established in 2007. It was previously known by names such as Brusna distillery and Locke's distillery. The latest production of whiskey before refurbishment ceased in 1957 due to financial difficulties. The distillery is equipped with only 2 pot stills and produces only small batches of Kilbeggan whiskey.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
3. Midleton Distillery
Location: Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland
Founded: 1780/1825
Owned by: Irish Distillers, Pernod Ricard
Brands: Midleton Very Rare, Jameson, Power's, Paddy, Redbreast, Green Spot
(and the "Spot"-series), Dunphy's, Method & Madness
The Old Midleton distillery has a long history that dates back to the 17th century and 1825. However, a new distillery was established in 1975 after John Power & Sons, John Jameson & Sons, and the Cork Distilleries Company merged into Irish Distillers in 1966. The new facility was built next to the old distillery, which was later transformed into a Jameson visitors center.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
4. Cooley Distillery
Location: Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, Ireland
Founded: 1987
Owned by: Beam Suntory
Brands: Kilbeggan, Kilbeggan Single Grain (formerly known as Greenore),
Connemara, The Tyrconnell, 2 Gingers
The Kilbeggan distillery has only two pot stills, whereas the Cooley distillery, established in 1987, can produce numerous types of whiskies. The distillery was founded by John Teeling and mainly employs double distillation instead of the more common triple distillation used in Irish whiskies. The Connemara, one of the few peated Irish whiskies, is produced at this distillery.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
5. Dingle Distillery
Location: Farranredmond, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Founded: 2012
Owned by: Porterhouse Group
Brands: Dingle, Dingle Gin, Dingle Vodka
Dingle was the fifth distillery to begin producing whiskey in Ireland, founded by Oliver Hughes, the owner of Porterhouse brewery and restaurant group in 2012. The distillery has three large pot stills and one small still used for the production of gin and vodka. The first edition of Dingle whiskey was released in 2016.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
6. Echlinville Distillery
Location: Newtownards, Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland
Founded: 2013
Owned by: Shane Braniff
Brands: Echlinville Single Malt, Dunville's, Old Comber, Matt D'Arcy, Echlinville
Gin, Weavers Dry Gin, Jawbox Gin, Ban Poitin, Feckin
Echlinville Distillery is the first new distillery that was established in Northern Ireland in more than 125 years. The distillery produced their first whiskey in 2016. However, the owners of the distillery revived the Dunville's whiskey brand in 2012. Recently, in 2021, they also acquired the old Irish whiskey brand Old Comber with the aim of bringing it back to life. Besides whiskey, the distillery also produces four different brands of gin.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
7. West Cork Distillers
Location: Skibbereen, West Cork
Founded: 2003
Owned by: West Cork Distillers
Brands: West Cork, Pogues, Garnish Island Gin, Two Trees Vodka
West Cork Distillers was founded in 2003 by three childhood friends, John O'Connell, Denis McCarthy, and Ger McCarthy behind Den's house in Skibbereen. It took them 11 years to turn their dream into a reality, and in 2014 they finally opened their new distillery. The facility boasts 8 pot stills and 2 column stills, along with 3 stills specifically for gin production. Today, West Cork Distillers is one of the largest Irish-owned distilleries in Ireland, and has 7 warehouses for storage of their products.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
8. Tullamore Distillery
Location: Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland
Founded: 2014
Owned by: William Grant & Sons
Brands: Tullamore D.E.W
The first Tullamore distillery was established in 1829. However, it shut down in 1954. The Tullamore brand was kept alive during the construction of the new distillery, and before William Grant & Sons purchased the brand in 2010, it was produced under a contract in the Midleton distillery located in County Cork.
Additionally, the initials D.E.W. in Tullamore DEW stand for Daniel E. Williams. He was the General Manager of the distillery who established the brand in the 1800s.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
9. The Shed Distillery
Location: Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, Ireland
Founded: 2013
Owned by: P.J. Rigney
Brands: Drumshanbo, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin, Sausage Tree Vodka
The distillery was established in 2013 by an entrepreneur named P.J. Rigney, who was previously involved in the team that created Baileys. The first distillation took place in 2014, and as a result, their first whiskey was released in 2019.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
10. Rademon Estate Distillery
Location: Crossgar, Downpatric, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: David & Fiona Boyd-Armstrong
Brands: Shortcross, Shortcross Gin
The Rademon Estate distillery was established in 2015 by a married couple named David and Fiona Boyd-Armstrong. They recently released their first whiskey in 2021, which was fully matured in Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux Red Wine casks before being finished in chinquapin oak. This marks the first time this unique cask combination has been utilized in Irish Whiskey. It should be noted that the whiskey is being sold for £300, which is quite expensive for a first whisky release.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
11. Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: Teeling Whiskey Company by Jack & Stephen Teeling & minority
ownership by Bacardi
Brands: Teeling, Spirit of Dublin Poitin, Blackpitts Peated Single Malt
The Teeling family has a rich history of producing whiskey. The first ever Teeling family distillery was established in Marrowbone Lane in 1782, not too far from where Jack and Stephen, the brothers, founded their own distillery in 2015. Additionally, their father John was the founder of the Cooley distillery in 1987, which broke the monopoly in the industry. When the Cooley distillery was sold to Beam Suntory in 2011, the brothers, alongside their father, worked at the distillery and negotiated a deal on 16,000 casks of aged whiskey. Stephen took this whiskey to launch the Teeling Whiskey brand in 2012.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
12. Great Northern Distillery
Location: Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: John Teeling
Brands: Burke's
In 2015, an old Harp Brewery, previously owned by Diageo, was purchased by John Teeling and officially became a distillery. The Teeling family - John, Stephen, and Jack Teeling, along with James Finn and David Hynes - are the proud owners of this distillery. The facility has both pot stills and column stills and mainly focuses on producing grain whiskey and gin. However, they also triple-distill single malts and can produce heavily peated pot still whiskey.
Most of the whiskey produced by the distillery is sold to brands and start-ups that are interested in entering the whiskey industry. Apparently, the distillery has already sold most of its upcoming whiskey for years to come. Burke's is the only brand directly associated with The Great Northern Distillery.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
13. Waterford Distillery
Location: Grattan Quay, Waterford, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Mark Reynier, Renegade Spirits
Brands: Waterford
The Waterford distillery, which is known as a craft distillery, started distilling its first spirit in 2016. The distillery is owned by Mark Reynier who also owns the Renegade Rum Distillery in Grenada. Reynier's background is in the wine industry, and his interest in terroir, which is typically associated with grape-growing in wine and brandies, motivated him to establish the Waterford distillery and bring the concept into the world of whiskey. To explore the effects of terroir in whiskey production, the distillery collaborates with nearly 100 farmers throughout Ireland.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
14. Connacht Whiskey Distillery
Location: Belleek, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Connacht Whiskey Company
Brands: Connacht Single Malt, Spade & Bushel, Ballyhoo Single Grain,
Conncullin Gin, Straw Boys Vodka, Straw Boys Poitin
The Connacht distillery was founded in 2016 by Master Distiller Robert Cassell and his team. It is situated in a former Duffy's bakery site which has been renovated to cater to the needs of distilling spirits. The distillery is equipped with three custom-designed pot stills. Their first batch of 800 whiskey bottles was sold out before being bottled in August 2021.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
15. Royal Oak Distillery
Location: Royaloak, Co. Carlow, Ireland
Founded: 2016 as Walsh Whiskey Distillery, 2019 changed to Royal Oak Distillery
Owned by: Illva Saronno
Brands: Busker
The history of the Royal Oak distillery is closely tied to Walsh Whiskey company, which was established in 1999. They opened their distillery doors in 2016 and it bared the name Walsh Whiskey Distillery. In 2019 Illva Saronno, who had a 50% stake at the Walsh Whiskey took full ownership of the distillery and renamed it Royal Oak due to disagreement with the other owners. The Walsh Whiskey brands Writer's Tears and The Irishman stayed with the Walshes. The Royal Oak distillery's inaugural whiskey brand Busker was released in 2020.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
16. Ballykeefe Distillery
Location: Kilballykeefe, Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: The Ging Family
Brands: Ballykeefe - Single Malt, Single Estate Whiskey, Gin, Vodka
Ballykeefe is a family-owned and operated distillery that has been described as a working family distillery. The Ging Family, which consists of seven members, manages the distillery. The distillery began production in 2017 and uses triple-distillation methods. All barley used in the production process is harvested from the family farm, and the products are labelled as being made with 100% Ballykeefe Barley.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
17. Pearse Lyons Distillery
Location: James's Street, The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland
Founded: 2017
Owned by: The Lyons Family
Brands: Pearse, Ha'Penny - Gin, Whiskey, Mil Mediterranean Pot Still Gin
In 2017, Alltech, a Kentucky-based company, and its founder Pearse Lyons, an Irish-born billionaire entrepreneur, partnered with Ireland's Carlow Brewing Company to establish a distillery in an old St. James' Church in Dublin. This was the third distillery founded by the Lyons Family under the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company. Sadly, Pearse Lyons passed away in 2018 before he could witness the maturation of his Irish Whiskey.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
18. Slane Distillery
Location: Slanecastle Demesne, Co. Meath, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: Brown-Forman
Brands: Slane
The Slane Irish Whiskey Company was established in 2009 and initially used the location as a concert venue. The distillery, located in Slane Castle, has a rich history dating back to the 1750s. After undergoing renovations and updates costing £50m, the distillery began production in 2017 with the assistance of Henry and Alex Conyngham of the Slane estate. Prior to Brown-Forman launching the new Slane whiskey in 2017, the Slane Castle whiskey was produced at the Cooley distillery until it was sold to Beam in 2012.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
19. Lough Measc Distillery
Location: Tourmakeady, Killateeaun, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Founded: 2018
Owned by: Eoin Holmes
Brands: Lough Measc - Malt, Gin, Vodka
Sometimes known as Drioglann or Lough Mask distillery, this micro-distillery uses small copper stills, also known as ancient alembic type stills, to produce both peated and unpeated malts using double distillation.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
20. Blackwater Distillery
Location: Ballyduff Upper, Co. Waterford, Ireland
Founded: 2014
Owned by: Peter Mulryan
Brands: Velvet Cap, Retronaut, Blackwater Gin & Vodka
Peter Mulryan, who had a long career in broadcasting, has now become a gin distillery owner. Currently, the distillery is selling whiskey that has been made in other Irish distilleries. However, they planned to launch their own whiskey on May 31st, 2022.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
21. Powerscourt Distillery
Location: Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Founded: 2018
Owned by: Slazenger Family
Brands: Fercullen Single Malt
Powerscourt Distillery was established in 2018 by entrepreneurs Gerry Ginty and Ashley Gardiner. It is located in an Old Mill House on the Powerscourt Estate, surrounded by beautiful scenery. The estate has a rich history dating back to the 9th century and is known as 'FeraCulann' or Fercullen in native Gaelic, which is the name given to their whiskey. The distillery is equipped with three custom-made copper pot stills and was overseen by Master Distiller Noel Sweeney from inception until the end of 2021.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
22. Dublin Liberties Distillery
Location: The Mill, 33 Mill St, The Liberties, Dublin 8, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Quintessential Brands Group
Brands: Liberties, Dubliner, The Dead Rabbit
Quintessential Brands Group was founded in 2011 by Enzo Visone, who was previously the CEO of Gruppo Campari, and Warren Scott, an investment banker and entrepreneur. They aimed to produce Irish whiskey in the center of Dublin. The Dublin Liberties distillery was opened in 2019, under the guidance of Master Distiller Darryl McNally.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
23. Clonakilty Distillery
Location: The Waterfront, Scartagh, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Michael Scully
Brands: Clonakilty Whiskey, Minke Gin
The Clonakilty distillery, which is owned by the Scully family, began distilling its first spirit in 2018. The family-farming oriented distillery is equipped with three copper pot stills and mainly focuses on triple-distillation. They also mature their whiskies 200m above sea level. The distillery is located along the coast and supports Whale and Dolphin Conservation. The wildlife in the area, particularly the whales, inspired their whale-tail logo.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
24. Killowen Distillery
Location: Killowen, Newry, County Down, Ireland
Founded: 2017
Owned by: Brendan Carty
Brands: Killowen - Whiskey, Gin, Poitin, Dark Rum
This craft small-batch distillery, owned by architect Brendan Carty, is the only one in Ireland to use direct flame to distill their spirit in Portuguese-style copper pot stills.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
25. Roe & Co Distillery
Location: James' Street, Dublin, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Diageo
Brands: Roe & Co
In 2017, Diageo announced their plan to revive a whiskey distillery located near their Dublin Guinness brewery. The distillery called the Thomas Street Distillery, which was previously owned by the Roe family, was the largest whiskey producer in Ireland until it closed down in 1926. The new Diageo distillery began its distillation process in 2019, but the brand was already available on shop shelves in 2017.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
26. Copeland Distillery
Location: Manor St, Donaghadee, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Gareth Irvine
Brands: Copeland - Whiskey, Gin, Rum
In 2016, the distillery project was able to lift off the ground with the help of a crowdfunding campaign that raised £30,000. The distillery is located in an old cinema and bottling plant and conducted its first spirit run in 2019. It is equipped with three pot stills named Betty, Hessie, and Pam. Two of the stills are used for whiskey production while the third is used for gin. The whiskey will be ready for release in 2024.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
27. Burren Distillery
Location: Newtown, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland
Founded: 2013
Owned by: Noel Ó Lochlainn, Burren Distillers
Brands: The Burren Prince
There is a micro-distillery that specializes in producing a limited amount of single estate whiskey. The distillery was established in 2013, however, the first distillation took place in 2019. As a result, it may take some time before we see bottled products coming out of the warehouse.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
28. Irish American Distillery
Location: Bunnacurry, Achill Island, Co Mayo, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: McKay Family, Irish American Trading Company
Brands: IrishAmerican
The distillery located on Achill Island is also known as the Irish American distillery. It is owned and operated by the McKay family from Ireland. The name 'IrishAmerican' suggests that their primary market is in the United States, where the whiskey is already available in 26 different states.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
29. Boann Distillery
Location: Drogheda, Co. Meath, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Patrick and Marie Cooney
Brands: Boann, The Whistler, Silks Gin
The Boann Distillery is led by Ireland's youngest Master Distiller, Michael Walsh, who was born in 1990. The distillery features multiple nano-copper pot stills and will focus on producing single-pot still whiskey.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
30. Glendalough Distillery
Location: Unit 9, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Founded: 2011
Owned by: Mark Anthony Brands International
Brands: Glendalough - Whiskey, Poitin, Gin
The Glendalough distillery was established in 2011 by a group of friends from Wicklow and Dublin. The name Glendalough means 'Glen of Two Lakes' and their logo features a silhouette of St. Kevin. In 2019, Mark Anthony Brands International acquired all the stakes in the distillery, after originally owning only 40% of the company.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
31. Lough Gill Distillery
Location: Hazelwood, Carns, Co. Sligo, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Sazerac
Brands: Athru
The Lough Gill Distillery is located on a beautiful site behind Hazelwood House, which was built in 1725. The distillery was established in 2019 by David Raethorne in an old factory building. The distillery's brand is called Athrú, which means 'change' or 'transform.'
On June 21st, 2022, Sazerac, the parent company of Buffalo Trace, purchased the distillery, making it the first Irish whiskey in their portfolio.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
32. Blacks Distillery
Location: Liscahane Beg, Gortnalisheen, Co. Cork, Ireland
Founded: 2015
Owned by: Sam & Maudeline Black
Brands: Blacks - Whiskey, Gin, Rum
Blacks Brewery and Distillery, also known as 'Blacks of Kinsale', was founded by Sam and Maudeline Black. The brewery was established in 2013, followed by the distillery expansion in 2015. Recently, in 2020, the distillery was replenished with new stills, and in 2022, the site was approved for massive extension plans. With all these developments, one might wonder when they find the time to produce whiskey.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
33. Sliabh Liag Distillery
Location: Hillhead, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Founded: 2020
Owned by: Moira & James Doherty
Brands: Sliabh Liag Single Malt, Silkie Whiskey, An Dúlamán Gin, Assaranca
Vodka, An Beal Bocht Poitin
The Sliabh Liag whiskey distillery, also known as the Ardara Distillery, is located in Ardara, Dogenal. It distilled its first spirit in early 2022. In addition to the whiskey distillery, The Sliabh Liag Distillers also has a gin distillery called An Dulaman, which is just a short walk away from the whiskey distillery.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
34. Crolly Distillery
Location: Killindarragh, Crolly, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Founded: 2020
Owned by: The Crolly Distilling Company
Brands: The Crolly
Originally an old Crolly Doll Factory, it was restored and refurbished in 2020 to function as a distillery. The project is spearheaded by Joe Devenney, Conor McMenamin, and Kieran Davis, and the first whiskey produced is expected to be available in 2023.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
35. Glendree Distillery
Location: Feakle, Co. Clare, Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Paul and Alex Loudon
Brands: Glendree, Orla Vodka
In 2017, Paul and Alex Loudon established a micro-brewery with the aim of mastering the art of brewing before stepping into the world of whiskey production. Two years later, they distilled their first spirit using their distinctive still named Orla, which combines both pot still and column still. The distillery is planned to manufacture whiskey made from a blend of barley, wheat, rye, oats, and caramelized barley. Additionally, they promise to use only 100% rainwater as their water source.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
36. Hinch Distillery
Location: 19 Carryduff Rd, Ballynahinch, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Dr. Terry Cross OBE
Brands: Hinch, Ninth Wave Gin
The Hinch distillery was established in 2016 and officially opened in 2021. Hinch whiskey, already sold in 25 countries worldwide, can also be found as a peated single malt variant.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
37. Tipperary Distillery
Location: Grange, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Tipperary Boutique Distillery Limited
Brands: Tipperary, Farmhouse Gin
In 2014, Jennifer Nickerson, Stuart Nickerson, and Liam Ahearn founded Tipperary Boutique Distillery Limited. Initially, the distillery focused on bottling Irish single malts as an independent bottler. However, they began their distillation process in 2016. The distillery was equipped with 4 new pot stills at the time of the first official bottle of whiskey release in 2020.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
38. Micil Distillery
Location: Upper Salthill Rd, Galway, Ireland
Founded: 2016
Owned by: Pádraic & Jimín Ó Griallais
Brands: Micil - Whiskey, Gin, Poitin, Irish Cream
Padraic and Jimin Griallais founded their distillery in 2016, named after their great-great-great-grandfather Micil Mac Chearra. Their family farm in Connemara is the source of barley.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
39. Killarney Distillery
Location: Scart, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Founded: 2013/2021
Owned by: Killarney Distilling Company, KBD
Brands: Killarney
KBD is the parent company that owns both Killarney Brewing Company Ltd and Killarney Distilling Company. It was established in 2013 by Tim O’Donoghue and Paul Sheahan, who are from Killarney, and their business partner Liam Healy, who is based in Chicago and has family ties in Kilbrean, Killarney. The Killarney Distillery introduced its first whiskey in 2021, which was aged for 8 years in an Imperial Stout cask, and only 1092 bottles were produced, just in time for the official opening of the distillery.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
40. Wild Atlantic Way Distillery
Location: Aghyaran, Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Founded: 2019
Owned by: Wild Atlantic Distillery Ltd
Brands: Wild Atlantic Irish Gin & Vodka
The distillery is situated 15 miles away from the Wild Atlantic Way and was established in 2019 by Brian and Jim Nash, who are brothers-in-law. They are currently aging their new make in ex-bourbon, sherry, port, wine, and rum casks. The distillery offers two whisky clubs: the 188 Cask Owners Club, which has 188 casks available for private investors, and the 1921 Whiskey Club, which is available to 1921 members who will have the first picks of future releases. Currently, the distillery produces and sells gin and vodka under their brand name.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
Some of The Other Irish Whiskey Brands
It should be noted that some Irish Whiskey brands are owned by companies that do not have their own distillery. Instead, these brands are produced under a contract by other Irish Whiskey distilleries. Due to disclosure agreements, the location of the distillery is not always specified. Additionally, many of these brands may source their whiskies from multiple distilleries, making it difficult to pinpoint a specific origin.
However, by examining the information provided on the labels and interviews with the owners, along with an understanding of the limited number of possible whiskey producers in Ireland, some educated guesses can be made about the origins of these whiskies.
Image by The Whisky Ardvark
Clontarf & Knappogue Castle
Owned by: Irish Distillers (since 2021)
Made in: County Cork
Possible source: Midleton
Egan's Single Malt
Owned by: P. & H. Egan Ltd
Launched: 2013
Made in: Tullamore
Possible source: Midleton, then Tullamore
Gelston's
Owned by: Johnny Neill
Launched: 2017
Made in: Belfast
Possible source: Bushmills through contact with John Teeling
The Irishman & Writer's Tears
Owned by: Walsh Whiskey
Possible source: Midleton
JJ Corry
Owned by: Louise McGuane
Launched: 2015
Made in: 'All over Ireland'
Lambay
Owned by: Lambay Irish Whiskey Company
Launched: 2019
Made in: West Cork
Possible source: Midleton
Proper Twelve
Owned by: Proximo Spirits
Launched: 2018
Possible source: Old Bushmills
Sadler's Peaky Blinders
Owned by: Halewood International
Launched: 2017
Based in: Liverpool
Possible source: West Cork Distillers
Sexton
Owned by: Proximo Spirits
Launched: 2018
Possible source: Bushmills
Please let us know about possible updates by leaving a comment below.
Comments