Celebrations at The Powerscourt Distillery

Powerscourt Distillery has won six major awards already this year. At the 2023 World Whiskies Awards, the Distillery took home two Irish category wins for Fercullen Distillery Select and Fercullen Italian Gardens. At the 2023 Icons of Whiskey Ireland Awards, the Distillery also received a Highly Commended award for ‘Irish Whiskey category Brand ambassador 2023’ which went to Alan Malone (European Sales Manager for the Distillery). “We're delighted with these awards that reflect the hard work of the team. Two whiskeys that reflect the best of our home, Co Wicklow, both in concept and collaboration. We look forward to these whiskeys taking their place in the world’s best whiskey competition at the end of March,” said John Cashman, Head of NPD & Brand at The Powerscourt Distillery.

Whiskey distilleries attract 677,000 visitors in 2022

Irish whiskey distilleries around the island of Ireland attracted 677,000 visitors in 2022, an increase of 425% on 2021 but still a third down on the pre-Covid peak of 1.02 million. The Irish Whiskey Association announced the new figures as part of its annual survey of Irish whiskey distilleries for 2022. According to the survey, the top four markets for visitors to Irish whiskey distilleries in 2022 were:

• United States/Canada - 34%

• Ireland - 15%

• Germany - 9.5%

• Britain - 9% Commenting on the distillery visitor numbers for 2022, Chairperson of the Irish Whiskey Association James Doherty said: “While overall numbers are still down on the pre-Covid peak, we are targeting full recovery in 2023. Irish whiskey tourism makes a substantial economic contribution to local communities around Ireland, particularly in rural areas. Based on previous assessments conducted in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, we assess that tourists spent over €40 million in local communities linked to visits to distilleries. “It is expected that at least 26 Irish whiskey distilleries will be open to visitors in 2023, directly employing over 400 people. Details on Irish whiskey distilleries to visit are available at www.IrishWhiskey360.ie.”

History made at Boann Distillery

Towards the end of 2022, Boann Distillery celebrated the Winter Solstice by unveiling its first Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey at its base just outside Drogheda, Co Louth. On the same date three years ago, it filled nine, specially handselected casks with whiskey spirit from its inaugural distillation. In 2019, the single pot still distillate was filled into different wine and spirit casks, including NEOC (New Era of Oak Cask), PX, Armagnac, Sauternes, Moscatel, Chardonnay, Bordeaux, Rum and Marsala and matured in the solitude of the distillery. The first bottles of 'Solstice', matured on site, came from a Pedro Ximenez hogshead 250ltr cask.

A select group of whiskey enthusiasts became the first to taste the newly-matured spirit at the celebration in the family-owned distillery. According to Pat Cooney, Boann founder and entrepreneur, there were once 18 distilleries in Drogheda, with the last silencing its stills in the late 1850s. “It has always been our family dream to lead a renaissance of Irish whiskey and to craft and distil our own. That revival has begun and Irish whiskey is now quickly becoming the fastest growing spirit in the world. In late 2019, the first spirit flowed from the Boann Distillery copper pot stills, the first to flow in Drogheda in over 160 years. Our state-of-theart distillery, with its three custom handmade copper pot stills and our access to the best casks to mature our spirit, ensures that we produce unique whiskeys of great character and provenance with a real sense of place.”