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US giant Sazerac buys Irish distillery
The Sazerac Company has acquired Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo, Ireland, further bolstering its whiskey portfolio, which includes Buffalo Trace and Southern Comfort.
New Orleans stalwart Sazerac, known for birthing the cocktail of the same name, forges on with its expansion plans with the purchase of Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo.
Having bought the distillery from Hazelwood Demesne Ltd, The Sazerac Company plans to “fully develop” the site, which spans more than 40 hectares, in order to create “a world-class whiskey facility and visitor attraction” that it hopes will beckon up to 150,000 visitors per year.
Once completed, it will make Lough Gill a significant tourism centre and will also create a single base for Sazerac’s existing Irish Whiskeys, Paddy and Michael Collins. Through the acquisition, the company has also inherited the Athrú Whiskey brand, and will continue to develop the spirit and manage its global distribution.
In an announcement made on 20 June, Sazerac revealed it aims to increase the distillery’s capacity by upping its warehouse space cand expanding production and bottling lines.
The company has said that all current Lough Gill Distillery team members will remain with the business. However, the distillery is gaining a new Master Blender in Helen Mulholland, formerly Master Blender for Bushmills.
Mullholland recently become the first woman to receive a Chairman’s Award for her outstanding contribution to the development of the Irish whiskey industry.
“With its rich history of distilling and storytelling, Ireland is an ideal homeplace for our whiskey business to flourish,” said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Sazerac.
“In particular, the history of the Lough Gill Distillery, dating back to the 18th century, will be an integral keystone in the restoration and storytelling of this site. We look forward to preserving the history, and further expanding the growth opportunities for Paddy, Michael Collins and Athrú Whiskeys.”
One of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies, Sazerac owns premium brands including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Paddy Irish Whiskey, Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, and Southern Comfort.
David Raethorne, founder of the Lough Gill Distillery called the sale “a vote of confidence in the potential for Sligo to become a major player in the booming global Irish whiskey market.”
He added that the acquisition is “the culmination of seven years of hard work and determination by the Board of Lough Gill Distillery and the wider team, delivering on our original 2015 vision, when we acquired the site” and thanked Sligo County Council for its support in the decision for Sazerac to invest in Sligo.
“Becoming home to not one, but three, of Ireland’s whiskey brands (Paddy, Michael Collins & Athrú) will have a significant impact on our local economy, both from an employment and tourism perspective,” said Michael Clarke, Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of Sligo County Council.
At the beginning of the year, db reported how Sazerac has been working with historical archivists to research its connection with France and the Sazerac family, which established vineyards in the Cognac region almost 400 years ago.