Ireland: Amber Beverage Group to build one of the largest distilleries of Irish whiskey in Co Carlow

The Amber Beverage Group is investing up to €35m in the construction of one of the largest distilleries of Irish whiskey, RTE reported on October 20.

Walsh Whiskey Distillery at Dunleckney in Co Carlow will become the brand home for ABG's two super-premium whiskeys - Writers' Tears and The Irishman.

The two brands are exported to over 50 countries worldwide.

ABG said its intention is that the distillery will be capable of reaching a production capacity of 4 million LPAs annually, adding that the distillery’s capacity will facilitate its plans to lay down significant reserves of maturing whiskey over the long term.

The company said its investment underpins its commitment to becoming a major producer in the global Irish whiskey market, which reached $4.7 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $7.5 billion by 2028.

Subject to planning approval, the new Walsh Whiskey Distillery at Dunleckney will be located on an historic 18th century site by the banks of the River Barrow in Co Carlow.

It is hoped that construction of the distillery will start in 2024. The construction process will take about 18 months with commissioning of the distillery in 2026.

Bernard Walsh, the Founder and Managing Director of Walsh Whiskey, said that 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," Mr Walsh stated.

Jekaterina Stuge, CEO Of Amber Beverage Group, said today's deal marked ABG’s second major investment in the fast-growing Irish whiskey category following its acquisition of Walsh Whiskey and its super-premium Irish whiskey brands 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," he added.

24 October, 2023