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Amber Beverage plans €35m Walsh Whiskey distillery
Global spirits producer Amber Beverage Group (ABG) will spend up to €35 million (US$37m) to build a new Walsh Whiskey distillery.
The move is part of ABG’s commitment to becoming a major global producer of Irish whiskey, the company said.
Subject to planning approval, the new facility will produce Walsh Whiskey’s two flagship Irish whiskey brands: Writers’ Tears and The Irishman. It will have capacity to produce four million litres of pure alcohol per year.
The new Walsh Whiskey Distillery in Dunleckney, Ireland, will be located on an 18th-century site by the River Barrow in County Carlow.
ABG hopes it can begin building work in 2023, which it anticipates will take 18 months to complete. The new distillery, if all goes to plan, should be operational by 2026.
Jekaterina Stuģe, CEO of Amber Beverage Group, said: “This is ABG’s second major investment in the fast-growing Irish whiskey category following our acquisition of Walsh Whiskey and its super-premium Irish whiskey brands, Writers’ Tears and The Irishman, in 2021.
“In keeping with our growth ambitions as a rapidly growing global spirits company, once commissioned our distillery will enable ABG to become one of the major global producers of Irish whiskey and to leverage the exceptional growth the category is predicted to continue to experience for the foreseeable future.
“We will preserve the heritage of the historic site at Dunleckney, while introducing high-end production capabilities, married with a modern design to excite the senses of visitors to what will become a leading distillery and brand home for our whiskeys.”
Walsh Whiskey was established in 1999. Today, its portfolio consists of 25 expressions, matured in a mix of barrels and casks.
Bernard Walsh, founder and managing director of Walsh Whiskey, commented: “Located in the heart of Ireland’s barley growing region, with its own supply of natural water, the 18th-century riverside location of Dunleckney has been a special location for producing drink and food since the 1700s.
“Milled corn, beer, and malted grain have all been produced at this site, so whiskey is a natural progression. Our immediate focus will be on producing pot still and single malt whiskeys in traditional copper pots.”