Tullamore DEW

TULLAMORE D.E.W

Tullamore D.E.W’s origins date back to 1829 when the Tullamore distillery was founded in Tullamore, County Offaly, both the emotional and geographic heart of Ireland as it’s claimed, founded by famed distiller, Michael Molloy. The location was well chosen because it was a rich agricultural and grain growing region, providing both the new barley and pure water essential to the creation of good whiskey.

In 1887, following Molloy’s death, the distillery passed into the hands of the Daly family with Captain Bernard Daly in charge of the business. Captain Daly left the routine running of the distillery to one of his colleagues, Daniel E. Williams, who would become the major influence on the expansion and development of the distillery. The ‘D.E.W’ in Tullamore D.E.W represents the initials of Daniel E. Williams.

Williams brought electricity to Tullamore in 1893, had the town’s first telephones installed and introduced motorised transport. He also ran a commercial empire throughout the Midlands including drinks businesses, importing tea, selling seed and grain, and a network of 26 general stores.

But there were tough times for Irish whiskey - Prohibition in America and an economic war with Britain in the1930s didn’t help the industry. After World War II, Desmond Williams, grandson of Daniel E. Williams, used modern marketing techniques and re-established Irish whiskey as a world leader.

Tullamore D.E.W has in more recent times undergone something of a revitalisation with sophisticated packaging, a fresh new look and feel and a major refurbishment and build of

the new distillery, bringing the whiskey home to Tullamore after more than 60 years. The new distillery opened in September 2014 and was the first distillery built on a ‘greenfields’ site in Ireland for over 100 years. The visitors centre had reopened to the public two years prior, situated in Tullamore town and attracting around 40,000 visitors per year.

Today the Tullamore D.E.W product range includes Tullamore D.E.W original, a 10-year- old reserve and a 12-year-old special reserve (both triple distilled, and matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks), a unique 10-yearold single malt (matured in bourbon, oloroso sherry, port and Madeira casks) and the heritage blend.

Tullamore D.E.W is a unique blend of all three types of Irish whiskey - pot still, malt and grain whiskey – as distinct from other Irish whiskeys which mostly contain just two of these components.

More people are drinking Irish whiskey around the world with current consumption growing at a rate of 10 per cent a year. There is little doubt that with its rich history and distinctive character Tullamore D.E.W is well placed to continue as one of Ireland’s most famous exports.