The company which produces An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin and The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey, has acquired the Show Field in Ardara, and will be formally submitting a planning application to Donegal County Council this week.
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| The proposed new Ardara Distillery |
The Ardara Distillery, will have the capacity to produce 400,000 litres of pure alcohol per annum, which equates to approximately 1700 filled casks, and over 1.2m bottles of whiskey when the spirit is finally sold.
The company plans to create a number of brands, including the Ardara and Sliabh Liag single malt and pot still whiskeys, heavily peated and authentic to the style of 19th century whiskeys from the county.
As well as producing whiskey, the company’s An Dúlamán gin still will be moved from its current location in Carrick to the new building, and a visitor centre is also planned. The visitor centre will include a poitín museum, exhibition space, tasting bar and shop.
Commenting on the news, James Doherty, Managing Director of Sliabh Liag Distillers, said: “The design of the development is a mix of contemporary and traditional finishes which complement the village of Ardara. We have put considerable thought into the visitor experience and aim to create an opportunity for visitors to park in the village, walk along the Owentocker river, across a new footbridge and into the Show Field. It is important to us that local businesses benefit from the foot fall, and if we can get visitors walking in the village, increasing their dwell time, then so much the better for the entire community.”
Construction on the new distillery is scheduled to start later this year, subject to planning approval, with distilling operations commencing in 2020.
Posted by Steve Rush