Irish Distillers exploring option to build new distillery

The Irish whiskey arm of Pernod Ricard has confirmed it is exploring the option of building a new distillery to keep up with growing demand for its brands, including Jameson.

Media reports in recent weeks have suggested the Irish whiskey producer is looking outside of its Midleton home to build a new distillery.

In a statement, Irish Distillers said it was “examining all options” to increase production capacity, including building a new facility.

It comes as Irish whiskey sales continue to soar in popularity. In 2017, sales of Jameson Irish whiskey grew 11.3% to reach 6.9 million nine-litre cases, according to Brand Champions 2018 data.

Jameson remains the world’s leading Irish whiskey brand by some margin – followed by William Grant & Sons’ Tullamore Dew, which sold 1.2m cases last year.

Irish Distillers’ portfolio also includes Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers, Green Spot and Yellow Spot.

A spokesperson for Irish Distillers said: “At Irish Distillers, our objective is to drive the growth of our portfolio of premium Irish whiskey brands supported by the strength of the Pernod Ricard global distribution network.

“We take a long-term view and naturally, as we grow, there are implications for our business.

“We are currently examining all options to increase our production capacity to meet projected demand and building a new distillery is one of them. These are exciting times for Irish whiskey and we are proud to be leading the way.”

Jameson’s first TV advert in the UK for seven years is set to air for the first time tomorrow (6 September), following a £1.2m (US$1.5m) investment from Pernod Ricard UK.