International drinks group Quintessential Brands today announced the acquisition of the Dublin Whiskey Company.
The purchase is part of a €10 million investment plan that includes the construction of a new Dublin whiskey distillery and visitor experience facility in Dubin’s Liberties area.
The company also announced the appointment of renowned Irish whiskey distiller Darryl McNally as General Manager and Master Distiller of its Irish whiskey operations.
The acquisition includes the historic Old Mill Street building which was traditionally the centre of whiskey distillation in Dublin. The site has full planning permission for a distillery and a natural spring water source to be used in the process. According to Quintessential Brands, the development will support up to 55 jobs over the next 18 months.
This investment follows Quintessential Brands Ireland’s acquisition of First Ireland Spirits in 2014, which included its Irish creams and liqueurs brand portfolio and production facility in Abbeyleix, Co Laois. The group said it is part of its strategy to grow its brands and operations in Ireland.
In 2015, Quintessential Brands Ireland invested €4 million in doubling the production capacity of First Ireland Spirits, including the introduction of a comprehensive whiskey bottling operation.
Quintessential Brands CEO Warren Scott said: “The addition of the Dublin Whiskey Company paves the way for us to create an Irish whiskey distillery and a home for our Irish whiskey brands in the famous Liberties area of Dublin which will allow us to further develop our Irish whiskey portfolio and become a leader in Irish spirits.
“I am pleased to also announce the appointment of Darryl McNally as our Master Distiller. With his experience creating Irish whiskey and managing one of Ireland’s leading distilleries, he brings extensive knowledge and expertise to the Dublin Whiskey Company which will help us create a dynamic, brand-led business with a working distillery at its heart,” Scott added.
Previously, McNally was Operations Manager and Master Distiller at Bushmills Distillery.
“I am delighted to have joined Quintessential Brands Ireland and look forward to developing the Dublin Whiskey Company by building a world class distillery in the heart of Dublin with a visitor experience like no other,” McNally said.
“The Dublin Whiskey Company distillery, will produce single malt Irish whiskey and we will have the first spirit flowing from the stills at the end of summer 2017,” he added.
Scott commented: “This is a long-term strategy for our business and we shall be investing €10 million in our Irish whiskey operations, including the distillery and maturation of stock. Through First Ireland Spirits we have been in the whiskey business since 1994 and now we are set to take this to an entirely new level. We plan to become a leading player in the Irish spirits industry with an award-winning and exciting portfolio of brands selling half a million bottles globally.”
Dublin Whiskey Company Joint Founder Ed O’Flaherty said: “I am delighted with the sale to Quintessential Brands who are going to complete our initial vision for the distillery. I will continue in the whiskey industry working on my own projects.”
Quintessential Brands Ireland’s core brand portfolio includes: The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey, Feeney’s Irish Cream Liqueur and O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream.
The Dubliner Irish Whiskey and The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey are sold throughout the USA, Ireland and the UK. Its network is expected to expand to more than 50 countries, Quintessential Brands stated.
The Quintessential Brands Company’s spirits portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, Bloom London Dry Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur, which are all produced by G&J Distillers. The company also launched Thomas Dakin Small Batch Gin.
