Artisan distillers

Glenwinny distillery is located in the picturesque village of Lisbellaw, in County Fermanagh. Founder and Distiller Margaret Elliott-Tredinnick recently returned from living in Bristol for nearly 20 years with the view of starting an artisanal whiskey distillery.

The distillery will produce small batch pot still Irish spirits using organic and heritage malts. The distillery has now entered its final stages of commissioning and will begin full production in January 2023. The first release of Glenwinny single pot still whiskey is planned for early 2026, prior to this a range of exciting muscovado rums and full grain Poitíns are planned for release.

‘We are intentionally a small distillery, we need to be agile, creative and experimental in our offering. We will be producing limited quantities using two flame heated 500 litre copper pot stills, creating spirits with rich and vibrant character’. Customers will have the opportunity to tour the distillery and enjoy tastings from Spring 2023.

With the alcohol licencing laws in Northern Ireland as they are it ‘made sense’ to buy a public house with a licence which would allow for the sale of the spirits direct to the public. Margaret is passionate about small producers and showcasing their produce, ‘on the flip side the licence has allowed us to have our own Free House, The Dog & Duck Inn, which was something that was always on my bucket list. ‘Small producers have few outlets for their products here within Ireland, so it was very important for me that I have a Free House to showcase independent producers- which has been very well received’.

13 independent beers, ciders and selected spirits are complimented by a modern British/Irish food menu, created by Head Chef Dave Cooper, which is available Thursday to Sunday. ‘It’s been alot of hard work but it was always an aspiration to have a dog friendly country inn and by chance we have done it – on the way to creating a distillery. We recently discovered that we are the furthest west pub in the United Kingdom providing traditional cask ale- which is nice to be known for’.

This project is very much a phased approach. The opening of the Free House with food is now complete, Phase two will see the distillery opening, Phase 3 will be the addition of accommodation and Phase four sees the opening of a fine dining restaurant experience. The distillery will also be a registered wedding venue soon allowing for a less conventional wedding experience. ‘Nothing we do here is normal or conventional, I would like to think that we offer something a little different, in everything we do’.