Irish Distillers has announced the reopening of the home of Jameson in Smithfield, Dublin, following a total investment of €11 million. The new look ‘Jameson Distillery Bow St’ brand home was officially opened by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Dublin Central TD Paschal Donohoe today (6 March).
The distillery will support the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy target of trebling the number of Irish whiskey tourists visiting Ireland annually, to 1.9 million by 2025. Three guided tours will be on offer: ‘The Bow St Experience’ - which will focus on the distillery’s history and heritage - and ‘The Whiskey Makers’ and ‘The Whiskey Shakers’ - which will focus on whiskey and cocktails - giving visitors a chance to sample whiskey straight from the cask.
Speaking at the opening of Jameson Distillery Bow St, Donohoe said: “Each year, over 600,000 tourists pass through Irish whiskey visitor centres to experience first-hand the heritage behind this time-honoured spirit and hear the stories of established and emerging distilleries.
“The Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy aims to treble this figure to 1.9 million visitors by 2025 and Jameson Distillery Bow St will undoubtedly play a central role in delivering on this vision. Smithfield and its wider Dublin environs have a rich history and vibrant cultural scene which will also continue to attract and enthrall visitors from near and far.”
Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers said: “As the home of Jameson, Smithfield has an incredibly important place in our history. We’ve grown up on Bow Street and welcomed over 4 million whiskey lovers through our doors since the opening of the Old Jameson Distillery brand home in 1997. With this latest investment, we place storytelling at the core of the visitor experience, drawing on state of the art technology to bring the 230-year history of Bow Street to life, with a variety of tour options to cater for everyone – from those who may be discovering Jameson Irish whiskey for the very first time, to long-standing Jameson enthusiasts who are seeking to further their understanding of this much-loved spirit.
“The success of Irish whiskey is a success story for Ireland and we look forward to welcoming whiskey lovers from across the globe and sharing our story with them.”
Ray Dempsey, who has been general manager at the Jameson brand home in Smithfield since its opening in 1997, added: “We have had the privilege of calling Bow Street home since 1780 and we’re delighted with our new makeover. Visitors can look forward to immersive storytelling where they will be invited to touch, smell and most importantly, taste Jameson in the original Bow St distillery building.
As Smithfield continues to experience a cultural resurgence, we’re incredibly excited to be part of this thriving community and look forward to being here long into the future.”
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donncha Mac Cóil
