Teeling distillery to be first in Dublin for 125 years
The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) has today announced plans for a new whiskey distillery to be located in Dublin’s Newmarket Square in The Liberties, Dublin 8.
This will be the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years and brings the Teelings home to their ancestral roots. The Teeling Whiskey Distillery will start production in the fourth quarter of 2014 with the visitor centre opening its doors in early 2015, investing €10million into The Liberties based location and creating at least 30 full time jobs. The distillery will also see 50 jobs created in the construction phase.
The Teeling Whiskey brand is already on sale in Ireland and over 18 export markets. The construction of the new distillery will guarantee future supply for the Teeling Whiskey brands and allow the creation of a range of innovative and authentic Irish whiskeys based on the traditional and unique Dublin style of distillation. The proposed new Pot Still distillery will have the capacity to produce 500,000 litres of whiskey on an annual basis and will consist of three traditional copper Pot Stills reviving the traditional style of the old Dublin distilleries.
Plans for the Teeling Whiskey Distillery and visitors centre were welcomed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD. The centre expects to welcome 40,000-50,000 through the doors in year one, increasing to 100,000 thereafter.
“The food and drinks sector is an area we have targeted for support as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and Irish whiskey in particular is an area where there is rapidly-growing international demand, providing huge potential for jobs growth in Ireland. Today’s announcement by Teelings that it will invest €10million in a new distillery in the Liberties with the creation of 30 new jobs and 50 temporary construction jobs is great news and a strong indication of what is possible in this area. This will bring a huge boost to the local community and I wish all involved every success”.
Jack Teeling, Founder and Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company commented;
“We are proud to be returning to our ancestral distilling roots which trace back to 1782 in The Liberties. This project will bring distilling back to an area of Dublin long associated with world class whiskey which at one stage had 37 different operational distilleries. Building a working distillery is just one part of our plan for the Newmarket site which will also involve the development of an integrated visitor experience to showcase the rich distilling history of Dublin and in particular The Liberties. Dublin whiskey was atthe forefront of the last golden age of Irish whiskey. We aim to revive the Spirit of Dublin by putting Dublin and Teeling Whiskey firmly back on the map again.
“It is unquestionable that there has been significant growth in the Irish whiskey market worldwide, particularly in the US, and we want to be the leaders in creating a bright new future for Irish and Dublin whiskey. The new distillery will guarantee future supply and ensure we control the distilling process from grain to bottle, whilst also giving consumers the opportunity to further interact with the brand, as we revive the old tradition of whiskey distilling in The Liberties.”
“We are really excited about opening the doors and are looking forward to welcoming Dubliners and tourists alike to learn about the history of Teeling Whiskey, the unique whiskey heritage of The Liberties and experience a full operational Irish whiskey distillery.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Padraic Cribben 085 717 8785 / Catherine Walsh 087 268 9532 Pembroke Communications
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TEELING WHISKEY HERITAGE AND THE WHISKEY HERITAGE OF THE LIBERTIES
The Teelings have being crafting Irish whiskey since 1782 when Walter Teeling had a distillery on Marrowbone Lane in The Liberties of Dublin. At this time there were over 37 different distilleries in Dublin alone in particular centralised in the industrial engine room of the city: The Liberties; the Coombe, Newmarket and Smithfield.
During the 19th century Dublin whiskey became globally recognised as the premier whiskey in the world and some of the largest distilleries of the time emerged from these smaller operations in Dublin’s Liberties. The remains of many of these can still be seen to this day however in 1976 the last Dublin distillery shut down with production moved to Middleton, Cork.
TEELING WHISKEY COMPANY VISITORS CENTRE AND LOCAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
The Teeling Whiskey Distillery experience will be unlike any other in the country, allowing visitors to see, smell and experience a full operational distillery and interact with the people who make Teeling Whiskey. Visitors can expect an experiential journey combining the history and heritage of Teeling Whiskey; the whiskey heritage of The Liberties; an insight into the whiskey distilling process and whiskey tasting, interacting with the real people distilling whiskey and the real whiskey making process.
Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company, Jack Teeling, also outlined plans to reinvest a percentage of the whiskey distillery visitor’s entrance fees into the local community in Dublin 8. Teelings will set-up a local advisory panel with a percentage from each admission going to community projects.
“We are also 100% committed to supporting the local community in The Liberties and we will reinvest a percentage from the admission fee to benefit community projects in The Liberties, an old established and historic part of Dublin. The local community could not be more supportive to date.”
“The new distillery will employ 30 full time staff and will be a tourism beacon for Irish and international whiskey connoisseurs and enthusiasts, welcoming an anticipated 40,000-50,000 guests through the doors in year one, with a thirst to learn more about Irish whiskey and the Teelings – an indigenous, independent Irish producer of whiskey. Visitors will get a chance to learn about our story, the whiskey story of The Liberties, the Teeling distilling process and savour the Teeling products. The distillery is very close to the Storehouse and on the tourist trail, and we hope that international and domestic visitors, as well as locals, will enjoy the fabulous new facility.”
THE TEELING WHISKEY COMPANY DISTILLERY DESIGN
Designed by George Boyle Designs, the building reflects its purpose through a layering of whimsical references to the distilling process. Upper floor booths, deep and panelled, view the market square through dramatic circular windows that evoke whiskey casks. The building is sustainably ventilated through a “pagoda” stylised roof, topped with a copper cap – reminders of days when peat fires dried the malted barley onsite in kilns. These charming structures were prominent across the skyline in the 18th and 19th centuries, when The Liberties was known as the “golden triangle” of whiskey- making. Raw, gritty and authentic, the architecture here is expressed through carefully selected materials that rekindle a rich industrial heritage unique to this part of Dublin.
ABOUT THE TEELING WHISKEY COMPANY
The Teeling Whiskey Company was founded by Jack Teeling in 2012 to bring back an independent voice to the Irish whiskey category. His brother Stephen Teeling joined him in 2013 as Sales & Marketing Director and is a co-owner in the business. The Teeling Whiskey Company aims to be Ireland’s leading independent Irish whiskey producer driving category choice and innovation through a selection of unique handcrafted small batch Irish whiskeys.
ABOUT JACK & STEPHEN TEELING
Jack Teeling is the Founder and Managing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company. Jack has over 10 years experience in the Irish whiskey industry having previously held the roles of Commercial Manager, Sales and Marketing Director and latterly Managing Director with Cooley Distillery. During his time as Cooley’s Managing Director the company experienced sales growth of over 85%. Cooley Distillery was sold to Beam in January 2012 of $95m. Jack holds an MSc in International Business (TCD), a MBS in Finance (Smurfit Business School) and a Bachelors Degree in Commerce from UCD.
Stephen Teeling is the Sales and Marketing Director of the Teeling Whiskey Company. He was previously a Commercial Manager in Cooley Distillery and was appointed Senior Global Marketing Manager for Irish whiskey in Beam in February 2012. After 16 month managing Cooley brands integration into Beam, he left to join the TWC in May 2013. Stephen holds a MBS in International Business (Smurfit Business School) and Bachelors in Business and Economics from Trinity College Dublin.
THE WHISKEY INDUSTRY IN BRIEF
- 60million litres/6.5million cases of Irish whiskey were consumed in 2012, up from 4 million in 2008
- The Whiskey category is ranked as the fastest-growing spirit in the world every year for the past 23 by the International Wine and Spirits Report.