Jameson owner Pernod Ricard sells Cork brewery back to original owners

“Having re-charged our batteries, we are keen to get back into the driver’s seat and continue the journey we started more than 14 years ago,” said Eight Degrees co-founder Cam Wallace.

Eight Degrees Brewing co-founders Scott Baigent and Cam Wallace.

Irish microbrewery Eight Degrees has been bought by its original founders after it was sold to Pernod Richard owned Irish Distillers five years ago.

The French drinks giant, which owns Jameson, bought the Cork-based business for an undisclosed sum in a “multimillion euro deal”, according to reports at the time, and has recently sold it back to New Zealand native Scott Baigent and Australian Cam Wallace.

The details of the deal have not been made public.

“Having re-charged our batteries, we are keen to get back into the driver’s seat and continue the journey we started more than 14 years ago,” said Mr Wallace.

The company was founded in 2010 and in late 2018, Eight Degrees completed a brewery expansion in Mitchelstown around the time the pair decided to take a career break before realising they wanted to return to the bubbling brewing and distilling industry in Ireland.

The brewery makes alcoholic drinks including Howling Gale, Full Irish, Bohemian, Citra, Sunburnt and Seisiún.

In 2023, Pernod Ricard reported a “soft start” to the year amid declining US and Chinese markets.