Spirit Capital buys shuttered Killarney site
The private equity group behind Père Magloire Calvados has acquired Ireland’s Killarney Brewing & Distilling Company (KBD), which entered liquidation in July last year.
Based in Zug, Switzerland, Spirit Capital confirmed it has completed its purchase of Killarney Brewing & Distilling Company for an undisclosed sum. The facility, located in Killarney, County Kerry, includes a brewery, distillery and visitor centre.
KBD filed a petition seeking examinership in Ireland’s High Court on 16 April 2025, with James Anderson of Deloitte appointed as its examiner. However, the business failed to secure investment within the three-month timeframe set by the court, leading to redundancy for all 54 of its workers.
Swiss private equity group Spirit Capital owns three Calvados brands and two Armagnacs through its French arm Spirit France Diffusion, which it acquired in 2007. The purchase of Killarney marks the company’s first move into Irish whiskey.
Spirit Capital claims to boast more than 200 years of distilling heritage, with Calvados brands such as Boulard, Le Compte and Père Magloire in its portfolio. Spirit Capital also has “extensive experience in hospitality, brand development and premium beverage operations”, the business said.
According to Spirit Capital, the Killarney site is “one of the most iconic and significant food, beverage and tourism assets in the region, with substantial investment already made in the distillery, brewery, visitor areas, hospitality spaces and associated infrastructure”.
A spokesperson for Spirit Capital described the Irish whiskey facility as an “exceptional site” with “importance to Killarney, Kerry, the local community and the wider Irish food, drink and tourism sector”.
It also noted its “long-term” commitment to the acquired business, with plans to “rebuild local employment”.
“We have enormous respect for the work and ambition of all those previously involved, and our intention is to preserve that value and bring the facility back into productive use on a phased, responsible and properly managed basis,” the statement continued.
“Our immediate priority is to complete the necessary transition work across safety, compliance, licensing, utilities, engineering and operational planning before activity is recommenced.
“As the project moves forward, we intend to work constructively with local contractors, suppliers, professional advisers and stakeholders where possible. Rebuilding local employment and supporting the Killarney and Kerry brand will be central to our approach.”
The company said its aim is to “build a business that Killarney and Kerry can be proud of, with distilling, brewing, hospitality and visitor experience all contributing positively to the local economy”.
The combined distillery and brewery site opened in 2022 after delays, but struggled from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside tariff uncertainty, “global supply chain disruptions, rising input costs, and ongoing geopolitical and trading pressures”, KBD said last year. It had reached a preliminary deal with a US investor in early 2025 but it did not go ahead.
KBD made a blended Irish whiskey, as well as a range of beers and a gin. Its inaugural whiskey, produced at the site, was initially due to launch in 2028.
Spirit France operates three distilleries: two in Calvados, Normandy, and one in Armagnac. It also has three bottling lines and four cellars for ageing its spirits.
Related news
IWA director joins World Spirits Alliance board
