Planning permission for a new whiskey distillery in Derry town has been given the go ahead by the The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA), it was announced today.
The £12m whiskey distillery, will also include a visitor centre and it will be run by a local company Niche Drinks.
Commenting on the new development Miriam Mooney, Head of the Irish Whiskey Association, said, “this is fantastic news and is further evidence that the renaissance of Irish whiskeys is occurring throughout the island of Ireland, creating jobs and supporting local economies. Irish whiskey is now the fastest growing premium spirit category in the world, with exports valued at €505 million last year, an increase of more than 300% in the last 10 years.
In the last four years, there has been a significant increase in the number of distillery openings across the country.
Mooney added: “In 2013, there were only four distilleries operating in Ireland, now there are 16 distilleries in production and a further 14 in planning. We are really ambitious for our sector, there is huge potential for growth for both small and large entrants to the category. Last year we launched the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy which is an all island strategy that proposes the development of an Irish whiskey trail across the island. We believe that given the right government supports and collaboration of state agencies north and south of the border, Irish whiskey tourism will increase from 650,000 a year to 1.9 million by 2025 across the island."
Niche Drinks are aiming to have first distillations by early 2018.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
