Midleton Distillery set for 'ambitious' €13m redevelopment

The plan will bring new whiskey tours and experiences as well as new shopping, bar, café and restaurant facilities

The existing facility will be transformed to accommodate “new and interactive whiskey tours and various tasting experiences”.

The Midleton Distillery is set for a major investment that will see the redevelopment of the tourist experience.

The “ambitious” €13m plan was announced by Irish Distillers and will bring new whiskey tours and experiences as well as new shopping, bar, café and restaurant facilities.

The existing facility will be transformed to accommodate “new and interactive whiskey tours and various tasting experiences” that will offer visitors “the opportunity to explore more about the past, present and future of Irish whiskey production at Midleton Distillery”.

Construction will commence immediately and is expected to be completed by 2025, in time to mark the 200-year anniversary of Midleton Distillery.

While construction is taking place, an alternative purpose-built Irish whiskey attraction will host visitors.

“Over the past 30 years, Midleton Distillery has become synonymous with Irish whiskey tourism, welcoming more than three million visitors from countries all over the world to our home in East Cork,” said Conor McQuaid, Chairman and CEO.

"Our ambition is to deliver an exceptional, world-class experiential offering which will bring whiskey lovers closer to the production process than ever before."

Construction will commence immediately and is expected to be completed by 2025, in time to mark the 200-year anniversary of Midleton Distillery.

Mr McQuaid said the plans “will ensure that the distillery experience offers visitors a unique insight into the whiskeys produced at Midleton Distillery in exceptionally beautiful and engaging surroundings". 

"We are confident that we can further build upon the appeal of Midleton Distillery for both domestic and international visitors, cementing its position as one of the top tourism attractions in Ireland while supporting jobs and economic growth in the East Cork region”.

Irish Distillers have said that sustainability has been a key element of the redevelopment.

The new visitor experience is set to feature a specially designed heat recovery system, meaning that excess energy from the production of Irish whiskeys onsite in Midleton will be used to heat the buildings.

The redevelopment will also see a mix of old and new with existing structures being conserved.

“As we are committed to preserving and maintaining the beauty of the original distillery buildings, many of which date back to 1794, our redevelopment plan is centred around the conservation and restoration of existing structures, while transforming our visitor attraction to accommodate new and interactive whiskey tours and exciting tasting experiences,” said Mr McQuaid.

“The redevelopment will therefore marry the old and the new, making improvements and upgrades to preserve the fabric of these buildings, all of which will ultimately contribute to an immersive and unique visitor experience.”