Titanic Distillers plans £7.6m whiskey site

Belfast-based Titanic Distillers has invested £7.6 million (US$8.5m) to construct an Irish whiskey distillery and visitor centre in Northern Ireland’s capital, which is due to open later this year.

In November 2021, Titanic Distillers received planning permission to build the new distillery in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

The investment will include the redevelopment of the Titanic Pump House, which was first opened in 1911 to accommodate the White Star transatlantic liners Olympic and Titanic.

Plans for the site include the installation of three large stills on a mezzanine floor overlooking the original pumping engines. Furthermore, the site will retain its original pump equipment and other historical features, which will be available to view as part of the tour.

Richard Irwin, director of Titanic Distillers, said: “There is a significant global market opportunity for Irish whiskey and we’re already seeing great success for our Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey in retailers throughout Great Britain.

“With significant investment in a dedicated distillery, we’ll soon be able to produce and bottle our own products on this historic site and build on our success to date to grow in global markets, with an initial focus on the US.

“We’re very excited to embrace the history of our distillery’s location to create a unique product and visitor experience in a World Heritage Site, immersed in the spirit of Belfast’s industrial and maritime past.”

The project will aim to create 41 jobs by the end of 2024, with 10 positions already in place. Recruitment is underway with operations, distilling, hospitality and sales opportunities available.

Titanic Distillers has also received £2m (US$2.2m) in funding from Whiterock Finance through the Growth Finance Fund, part of Invest Northern Ireland’s Access to Finance programme.

Peter Lavery, Titanic Distillers director, added: “In the days before Prohibition, Belfast was once the largest producer of Irish whiskey on the island of Ireland. Whiskey has played an important part in the history of our city but there hasn’t been a working distillery here for almost 90 years.

“We want to revive this great distilling tradition and bring Belfast back to the forefront of Irish whiskey production, while at the same time telling the story of a glorious past when we led the way globally – not just in shipbuilding but across many areas of industry, manufacturing and innovation.”

Another Irish whiskey project in Belfast is also well underway, following years of delays.

The owner of Irish whiskey brand McConnell’s invested £22.3m (US$27m) to open a distillery and visitor centre on the site of a former jail in Belfast. The site is due to open by autumn 2023.

The long-delayed project was first announced in 2012 by Lavery and was due to be completed in 2016.