The late 1980s saw the beginnings of a resurgence in the Irish whiskey industry with the establishment of the Cooley Distillery by John Teeling.
Since then, Irish whiskey has undergone a major revival, with Irish whiskey becoming one of the fastest-growing brown spirit categories in the world and many new Irish distilleries being established.
Whiskey is a spirit that tells stories of tradition, connection, innovation and legacy.
The Great Northern Distillery lies below the Cooley Mountains in Dundalk. We are an Irish-owned whiskey producer based in the heart of Dundalk’s distilling heritage, which began in the late 1600s.
Our whiskey reflects centuries-old traditions, and we have been at the forefront of the Irish whiskey renaissance since the 1980s.
To supply both mature and new-make malt, pot still and grain bulk whiskey to customers with their own brands of Irish whiskey.
Head of Commercial
Head of Finance
General Manager
Supply Chain Manager
Compliance Manager
Head of Distillation
Engineering Manager
Head of Commercial
Head of Finance
General Manager
Supply Chain Manager
Compliance Manager
Head of Distillation
Engineering Manager
Whiskey was first used as medicine rather than for recreation. First mentioned in Irish literature in 1405, Irish monks spread the knowledge of whiskey to Europe.
In the 19th century, Ireland was home to over 30 distilleries and produced more than 60% of the world's whiskey. By 1966, only four distilleries remained.
The word "whiskey" (or "whisky") comes from the Irish term uisce beatha, meaning "water of life."
Due to several factors, the Irish whiskey industry declined, and Scotland surpassed Ireland as the world's largest whiskey producer.
By 1972, only three distilleries remained operational in Ireland under Irish Distillers.
Our distilleries in Dundalk take full advantage of Ireland’s mild climate, allowing each cask to mature whiskey at the perfect pace for unparalleled smoothness and depth.
Each cask undergoes meticulous treatment and seasoning, unlocking the wood’s potential to impart rich flavors while ensuring a refined, balanced whiskey.
The Town of Dundalk has always been ideally suited to fostering a distilling industry, with access to the purest water from the nearby Cooley Mountains.
Since the late 1600s, brewing has been at the heart of Dundalk, with breweries in the area.
The Dundalk Distillery operated in the town between 1708 and 1926. Two of the distillery buildings, the grain store and maltings, still exist and now house the County Museum and Dundalk Library.
The Great Northern Distillery was founded on the site of the former Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. The original brewery on-site was established in 1896.
Diageo’s association with brewing in Dundalk dates back to the late 1950s. Until 1960, the brewery had produced stout and ale. However, in response to an increased demand for lager, Guinness converted the brewery into a modern lager operation, leading to the creation of Harp Lager.
The Great Northern Brewery was the second-largest brewery in Ireland until its closure in 2013 and subsequent takeover in 2015 by The Great Northern Distillery.
The first 3-year-old matured Irish whiskey produced at the distillery came of age in 2018.
In 2017, The Great Northern Distillery released it's first retail product under the historical ‘Burke’s Irish Whiskey’ brand. These included five casks of a 14 to 15-year-old single malt bottled at cask strength.
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