FDBusiness.com

International drinks group, Quintessential Brands has acquired Dublin Whiskey Company as part of a €10 million investment that will see it build a new Dublin whiskey distillery and visitor experience for its established portfolio of Irish whiskey brands including The Dubliner and The Dublin Liberties. The development will support up to 55 jobs over the next 18 months. The company has also appointed renowned Irish whiskey distiller Darryl McNally as general manager and master distiller of its Irish whiskey operations.

Previously, Darryl McNally was operations manager and master distiller at Bushmills Distillery where he worked for 17 years having responsibility for day to day operations, distilling and supply chain and, as Bushmills’ Distiller, for all whiskeys produced.

The multi-million euro acquisition includes the historic Old Mill Street building in the heart of the Liberties, which was traditionally the centre of whiskey distillation in Dublin. The site has full planning permission for a distillery and a unique natural spring water source to be used in the process.

This latest investment follows Quintessential Brands Ireland’s acquisition of First Ireland Spirits in 2014 which included its extensive Irish creams and liqueurs brand portfolio and production facility in Abbeyleix, County Laois, and is part of the group’s ongoing strategy to grow its brands and operations in Ireland.

In 2015, Quintessential Brands Ireland invested €4 million in doubling the production capacity of First Ireland Spirits, including the introduction of a comprehensive whiskey bottling operation. It already employs a total of 40 people in Ireland.

Warren Scott, chief executive of Quintessential Brands, comments: “The addition of the Dublin Whiskey Company paves the way for us to create an Irish whiskey distillery and a home for our Irish whiskey brands in the famous Liberties area of Dublin which will allow us to further develop our Irish whiskey portfolio and become a leader in Irish spirits.

The Dublin Whiskey Company distillery will produce single malt Irish whiskey and the first spirit from the stills is expected at the end of summer 2017.

“This is a long-term strategy for our business and we shall be investing €10 million in our Irish whiskey operations, including the distillery and maturation of stock. Through First Ireland Spirits we have been in the whiskey business since 1994 and now we are set to take this to an entirely new level. We plan to become a leading player in the Irish spirits industry with an award-winning and exciting portfolio of brands selling half a million bottles globally,” says Warren Scott.

The distillery will employ up to 15 people and up to a further 40 people will be involved in its construction.

The Dubliner Irish Whiskey and The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey are already sold in a number of markets including the USA, Ireland and the UK which will soon extend to over 50 countries around the world.

Quintessential Brands was founded by Enzo Visone, former chief executive of Gruppo Campari, and former investment banker, Warren Scott in 2011. In addition to Quintessential Brands Ireland, which includes First Ireland Spirits, the Quintessential Brands Group is made up of the Quintessential Brands Company; G&J Distillers, the world’s oldest gin distiller; Essential Drinks Company, the business-to-business supply division; Marblehead, the UK brand agency and L&L, a leading manufacturer of fruit spirits and liqueurs.

The Quintessential Brands Company’s spirits portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, BLOOM London Dry Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur, which are all produced by G&J Distillers. The company also recently launched Thomas Dakin Small Batch Gin, inspired by the forefather of quality English gin.

CAPTION:

Warren Scott, chief executive of Quintessential Brands, and Darryl McNally, general manager and master distiller of Dublin Whiskey Company.