Pernod Ricard subsidiary plans 150m euro investment in Ireland

Pernod Ricard-owned Irish Distillers will invest over €150 million at its sites in Cork and Dublin to meet a continued rise in demand for Irish whiskey.

Nearly €130 million is to be spent expanding and upgrading the distillery in Midleton and maturation site in Dungourney, which are both in County Cork.

Eight new maturation warehouses, each holding 16,800 casks, will be constructed in Dungourney, with further land to be purchased to support the next phase of development.

The company has also added an additional mechanical vapour recompression evaporator, made by GEA Wiegand in Germany, to its Midleton distillery. A third mash filter and new fermenters are also to be installed in the distillery to meet the increasing demand for its portfolio of whiskeys. The distillery will also complete construction of a new office building in July 2019.

Meanwhile, over €20 million will be invested in developing Irish Distillers’ bottling plant in Fox and Geese, Dublin, allowing for extensions to the main operating bottling hall, storage warehouses, laboratory, and office spaces, as well as additional upgrades to bottling and packing equipment.

Irish Distillers said that its Jameson Whiskey brand is now in “double- or triple-digit growth in more than 80 markets across the world”.

Commenting on the investment, Irish Distillers CEO Conor McQuaid said: “This €150 million investment in Midleton, Dungourney and Fox and Geese reflects the growing international success of Irish Distillers’ whiskey portfolio.

“With a tradition dating back to 1780, we have been distilling in the Midleton Distillery since 1975 and we are delighted to confirm our commitment to this tradition, and at the same time continue to embrace progress, delivering new and innovative expressions of Irish whiskey. We look forward to building upon our success story by continuing to bring innovative Irish whiskeys to the market.

“Irish whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world, with sales now accounting for more than one-third of all Irish beverage exports. This investment will help to allow this growth to continue for years to come. The company is proud to play its role in the Irish drinks industry, which is a hugely important part of the Irish economy.”