Dingle Distillery starts craft whiskey distilling
The Porterhouse Group-owners are behind the venture which intends distilling an initial batch (earmarked for the first investors to be known as ‘the Founding Fathers’) of about 500 litres which will be held in casks for five years.
This will be followed by the distilling of around two hogsheads a day for future brands Dingle Gold and Dingle Green.
The Dingle distiller joins IDL Pernod Ricard, Diageo and Beam Inc as the fourth operating distillery-owner in the country at present.
The project has already begun distilling Dingle Original Gin (“DOG & Tonic”) and Dingle Distillery Vodka which are to be launched in time for Christmas, primarily for the export market and retailing at €25 per bottle.
John McDougall, former Head Distiller at Springbank in Scotland, has been working as a consultant on the project alongside distiller and Porterhouse Director Peter Mosley.
John has distilled such Scotch brands as The Balvenie, Laphroaig and Tormore Scotch whiskies and authored one of the world’s seminal books on whisky: Worts, Worms & Washbacks. He’s also the only man alive who’s distilled all five forms of Scotch and Irish whiskies as well as gin.
His first duty was to assist in the design of three copper stills by Scottish firm Forsyths which are now being used by the Dingle Distillery.
Oliver Hughes explained to Drinks Industry Ireland, “The whole purpose behind this is ‘craft distilling’, one of the biggest growth areas in the world, pioneered by the US, but also mirroring craft brewing in taking the best of the traditional distilleries in Scotland and linking that in with more modern craft techniques and marketing.
“It’s aimed at premium and there’s lots for everybody!” he concluded.
