Irish Distillers to build €250m County Cork whiskey distillery

Pernod Ricard subsidiary Irish Distillers plans to build a €250 million distillery in Midleton, Ireland, in order to meet growing demand. 

The new distillery, which will be located on a 55-acre site and connected to the existing Midleton Distillery, is set to produce a number of Irish whiskeys, including Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, the Spot family and Method and Madness.

The site will be carbon neutral and distil pot still and grain whiskey with grain intake, brewing, fermentation and distillation facilities incorporated into the new area. Irish Distillers says that the company is expected to increase Midleton Distillery’s requirement for barely and malted barley by up to 50%.

Nodjame Fouad, chairman and CEO at Irish Distillers, said: “The new distillery will be a beautiful, landmark development with sustainability at its core and will serve to further demonstrate our commitment to Midleton and East Cork, generating more jobs for the region and further driving recognition of Midleton Distillery as the beating heart of Irish whiskey”.

Tommy Keane, operations director at Irish Distillers, said: “Whiskey has been distilled in Midleton for almost 200 years and as such, it has always been our desire to secure the future of distilling in East Cork. Today, we are delighted to announce plans for a new distillery connected to the famed Midleton Distillery.”

He continued: “We are incredibly proud of Midleton’s well-earned reputation as the home of some of the world’s most loved Irish whiskeys, and today’s announcement – along with the ongoing €13 million redevelopment of our visitor experience – will cement Midleton’s reputation as a world-renowned whisk(e)y destination. Through the delivery of this distillery, we also plan to play our part in supporting Ireland’s decarbonising strategy while also aligning with Pernod Ricard’s commitment to follow a Net Zero trajectory by 2050.”

Construction is expected to commence in 2023, and once completed, the distillery will create up to 100 new jobs for the region, with plans for it to be operational in 2025.