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THE WORLD’S SECOND-BIGGEST Irish whiskey brand has returned to the town which gave the spirit its name after a 60-year absence.
William Grant & Sons has opened its new Tullamore Dew distillery on a 58-acre site on the outskirts of Tullamore at Conminch in Co Offaly, where 1.5 million cases of the spirit will be produced each year.
The product was previously produced under license in Cork and other regions for the Scottish parent company, which bought the brand in 2010 as part of a €300 million buyout.
Tullamore Dew global brand director Caspar MacRae told TheJournal.ie the new distillery would give the brand more freedom – and the chance to get more innovative in the future.
He said the brand’s short-term future would be focussed on distilling a top-quality product in the new facility, but down the track they could experiment with small-batch specials and the local workforce could grow from its 25-person team.
“One of the things we are hoping is that as the brands keeps building success, it will create more demand and more jobs in the future,” he said.
The new distillery will feature:
Not drowning in whiskey, yet
Tullamore Dew’s sales grew 12% last year to about 850,000 cases, or 11 million bottles, and MacRae said there was no sign of the Irish whiskey market becoming saturated with the string of new, boutique distilleries opening up.
“We are a long way off from being in that sort of situation; we would welcome anyone who has got the intent of promoting a very high-quality product that enhances the Irish whiskey brand,” he said.
The last few years have featured a boom in the number of small and medium-sized Irish whiskey distilleries being set up on the back of fast-growing export demand, although the local market for spirits has been shrinking.
READ: Americans are acquiring a taste for Jameson – but it’s not so bright at home
Taxing times for local drinkers
MacRae said the Irish market was “very challenging” for the whiskey industry due to the heavy tariffs being levied on spirits.
“It’s hard to invest sustainably to build the brands due to the high levels of taxation, but we are committed to the long-term development of the brand in Ireland as well,” he said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney said Irish whiskey was the “star” of the local food and drink industry.
He said the government was committed to “protecting the reputation and identity of Irish whiskey” made by an industry which was working to grow exports in a sustainable and uniquely-Irish product.
READ: Sod is turned on Tullamore Dew distillery
READ: Work starts on biggest independent Irish distillery – whiskey and jobs will flow
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I went to a Tullamore Dew tasting a few months ago. At the end, the 2 salesmen came round to each group and I told them I was surprised it was the 2nd best selling Irish whiskey globally because it was so hard to get it in Dublin pubs. I felt pretty bad when I found out one of the men was in charge of distribution and the other man was his superior!
It’s great to see this quality product being manufactured again in Tullamore. It is one of those great irish exports that seem to be more highly regarded abroad than at home. I passed by the new distillery recently, it’s on the N52 Tullamore By-pass. Looks really great. Traditional building in a lovely setting. Hope it does well for Tullamore.
Loads of distilleries being announced these days
Complete disgrace that such an iconic brand employed, few if any local people when building the new distillery which oddly over looks Brian Cowans house. During the development of this complex, we were only short of having the United Nations General secretary direct Traffic based on the numerous foreign registered vehicles delivery everything from Cement to Grass Seed to the building site, jesus even the road sweeping machine had an eastern european registration. And before the Rants, I am all for EU wide employment but importing concrete pipes, let alone concrete from Northern Ireland when two of the biggest suppliers of same are less than 10 minutes from the site is taking the piss a little. Few if any local or for that matter Irish Registered builders were employed. Can’t wait for Tullamore Dew’s Press office’s response.
Joseph are you saying that they could not organise a p…. up in a distillery!
Like most big company’s they would be put all jobs out to tender. Either the local company’s did not enter a tender or they were more expensive.
Fair comment but u have to wonder how it’s cheaper to transport concrete from far and wide particularly the enormous silo’s when tullamore is home to one of the biggest suppliers of these products. From the main contractor to main trades not a single Irish registered company was awarded a contract which is questionable but shocking was the lack of any local employment although god bless them, the caterer from tullamore GC did get to feed the contractors. I see the hospitality tent being put up for a knees up in the coming days, lets hope some scraps will be left over for locals.
irish companies need to cut the greed and learn to compete, they dont want to be cometitive then we dont need them
Grand
Best of luck to them. I enjoy a nice single malt whiskey. Greenore is beautiful. I know its a different company. Maybe they could model a whiskey on this….
Greenore is a lovely drop but it’s a grain whiskey. Redbreast is a lovely single malt but pot still which is different again and an Irish only (I believe) product. 50% malted barley & 50% raw.
Tullamore do single malts as well :) but you do pay for it
Between that and Kilbeggan there must be some whiskey noises down that way
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