William Grant & Sons Opens New Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery

September 17, 2014 – Ireland’s newest distillery has opened as William Grant & Sons dedicated its Tullamore D.E.W Distillery, bringing whiskey production back to Tullamore for the first time since the old D.E. Williams Distillery was closed in 1954. The €35 million ($50 million USD) distillery has four copper stills designed to resemble those from the original distillery, and will be capable of producing 1.8 million litres of alcohol annually.

William Grant & Sons acquired the Tullamore D.E.W. brand from C&C International in 2011 and made the decision to build a distillery of its own the following year. The whiskey supply for the brand has come from Midleton since 1975 under a long-term supply contract, but the new distillery will eventually supply all of the whiskey bottled as Tullamore D.E.W.

To mark the occasion, William Grant & Sons is releasing a limited edition (2,014 bottles) of Tullamore D.E.W Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch. Tullamore has used a Phoenix as part of the town’s crest ever since a fire destroyed most of the town in 1785. In addition to the dedication ceremony at the distillery, a special celebration is being held in New York City featuring the great-grandson of Daniel E. Williams. Patrick Williams will preside over a barrel-signing ceremony with guests invited to sign a special barrel that will be shipped to the distillery, filled with new make spirit, and laid to rest with a similar barrel signed at the distillery’s event.

Links: Tullamore D.E.W.