Ireland’s most anticipated craft distillery has launched, as The Dublin Liberties Distillery opened its new €10m state-of-the-art whiskey distillery and visitor experience in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties district on Wednesday, February 20.
Production of the Dublin Liberties Distillery’s whiskey portfolio – which includes award-winning brands, The Dubliner and The Dublin Liberties – will now commence at the distillery under the supervision of renowned Master Distiller, Darryl McNally.
The new distillery boasts a world-class cocktail bar and an industry-leading visitor experience, providing an exciting addition to Dublin’s increasingly vibrant whiskey tourism scene, which saw over one million visitors to Irish distilleries and whiskey experiences in 2018. The visitor experience opened to the public on Monday, February 25, offering visitors an unrivalled, up-close view of modern Irish whiskey-making as it happens, with daily tours around the working distillery.
Located in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties district, the historic capital of Irish whiskey and an area with a colorful and fascinating history, The Dublin Liberties Distillery is minutes from the tourist centre of Dublin. The development of the new distillery has seen a complete renovation of a 400-year-old building preserving its original architecture and façade. The distillery combines traditional distillation practices with the very latest in modern technologies and features a unique natural spring water source on site to be used in the distilling process.
The new distillery opens as the popularity of Irish whiskey continues to soar worldwide, with growth in the Irish whiskey category faster than almost any other category in the global spirits sector today. The Dubliner and The Dublin Liberties brands are currently sold in more than 30 markets around the with sales in excess of 37,000 cases (9L) in 2018 but has ambitions to sell upwards of 50,000 cases globally in the year ahead.
Recognised around the world as one of the most skilful and progressive Irish whiskey distillers in the industry, McNally’s desire to push the boundaries of the Irish whiskey category inspired Quintessential Brands founders, Warren Scott and Enzo Visone, to join with him to build a distillery to match his vision. They were subsequently joined by Stock Spirits, a leading owner and producer of premium branded spirits and liqueurs principally sold in Central and Eastern Europe and Italy, who bought a 25% equity stake in the distillery and its brands in July 2017.
Darryl McNally, Master Distiller at The Dublin Liberties Distillery comments; “Making whiskey is my passion, my lifeblood, and to be doing it in the heart of Dublin’s historic distilling district is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I believe the future for Irish whiskey is in innovation and pushing the boundaries – and that’s what I’ll be working with the team here to deliver – the best Irish whiskey you could have the luck of getting on your lips. We’re inspired by the past, but not bound by it, and can’t wait to show the world just how diverse Irish whiskey can be.”
Shane Hoyne, Chief Marketing Officer for Quintessential Brands, majority owner of The Dublin Liberties Distillery, adds; “Irish whiskey’s rise over the last few years has been phenomenal, but with talented visionaries like Darryl emerging, I believe we’re now entering its most exciting era yet. Darryl is a constant source of ideas and combined with his unrivalled distilling skill, there’s no limits for Irish whiskey. It is also fantastic to be partnering with a company of Stock Spirits’ calibre. Their involvement will also provide an opportunity for the brands to expand further in to new regions such as Poland and the Czech Republic. Right now, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the team’s achievement in building this fantastic distillery but with much more to come from us this year, I believe this is the year the Dublin Liberties Distillery makes its mark on the Irish whiskey category.”
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Simon Coveney, officially opened the new distillery by closing the still door and commencing spirit production. Speaking at the launch, he said: “Irish Whiskey is one of the fastest growing spirits in global markets and one of the leading lights of our food and drink export industry. I am delighted to turn on the Dublin Liberties Distillery’s stills today, as the first liquid gold flows into casks for expert maturation with the promise of a premium, uniquely Irish product.”
Tickets for the Dublin Liberties Distillery will be available to purchase online.
