Diageo has this week announced that they have plans for a whiskey distillery to be built on the premises of the old Power Station at St. James’s Gate. The new premium Blended Irish Whiskey called Roe & Co is about to be launched and will be distilled here in the future.
This project is said to cost €25 million and will be developed over the next three years. Whiskey drinkers in Europe will get first opportunity to taste this very elegant and refined whiskey. It will be available from the 1st of March 2017.
“Irish Whiskey is experiencing a renaissance and is truly an Irish success story. It is seeing a return to the success it experienced in this golden era in the 19th Century and is now the fastest growing spirit drink in the world with global sales increasing by over 300% and record exports of over €400 million in the last ten years,” the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD., said about the launch.
He also went on to say: “€25 million investment in this project over three years will support the local economy, create jobs, and bring a welcome new addition to the City’s tourism offering.”
The new whiskey distillery is named in honour of George Roe, who used to be a whiskey maker during the golden era, 19th century Ireland. On an over 17 acres estate on Thomas Street he built one of Ireland’s biggest distilleries. All that remains of that distillery now is the old St. Patrick’s Windmill Tower and the old pear tree.
The plans for the distillery are still waiting for approval, but production is predicted to commence in the first half of 2019. Master Blender at Diageo, Caroline Martin, and her team, selected and sourced stocks of many different Irish whiskies and tried over 100 prototype blends to create Roe & Co.
Roe & Co is described as “a creamy, fragrant and rounded whiskey with notes of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of woody vanilla”. It also has sweet pear notes – this special addition has been added as a tribute to the George Roe & Co Distillery that used to stand next to the old pear tree.
Colin O’Brien, Operations Director of Diageo said: “The planned distillery will provide employment in the coming years – both at construction and operation stages. It will compliment what is already the country’s most popular tourism offering, The Guinness Storehouse.”
“This investment further demonstrates Diageo’s commitment to the growing vibrancy of the Liberties, one of the City’s most dynamic districts and the home of Irish Whiskey during the original golden age of Irish distilling. We are excited that the planned distillery will help revive the proud tradition of distilling in the Liberties.”
