Hazelwood Demesne Limited, owner of the Lough Gill Distillery, on the shores of Lough Gill in County Sligo, Ireland, announces its acquisition by the Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies with premium brands such as Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Paddy Irish Whiskey, Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, and Southern Comfort.

The Sazerac Company, known for taking historic sites such as its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky and its Sazerac House in New Orleans and restoring them to become world class operations, will fully develop the 100-plus acre site, the original demesne of Hazelwood House, to create a world-class whiskey facility and visitor attraction, according to a news release. Once complete, Lough Gill Distillery hopes to welcome up to 150,000 visitors annually and will create a homeplace for Sazerac’s Irish Whiskeys, Paddy and Michael Collins.

Additionally, Sazerac will significantly grow the footprint of Lough Gill Distillery through increasing the distillery’s capacity, adding warehousing capacity and expanding production and bottling lines. All current Lough Gill Distillery team members will remain with the business, and it is expected that Sazerac will increase employment after the expansion.  As part of the acquisition, Sazerac will continue the development of the Athrú brand, including global distribution.

Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer of Sazerac said, “With its rich history of distilling and storytelling, Ireland is an ideal homeplace for our whiskey business to flourish.  In particular, the history of the Lough Gill Distillery, dating back to the 18^th century, will be an integral keystone in the restoration and storytelling of this site.” 

David Raethorne, founder of Lough Gill, added, “This is a major announcement for Sligo and a vote of confidence in the potential for Sligo to become a major player in the booming global Irish whiskey market. The acquisition will enable Lough Gill Distillery to fully develop as a world-class visitor destination and will have significant long term economic and tourism benefits for Sligo, which, for me, was always a personal goal. 

“The Sazerac Company announcement is a culmination of seven years of hard work and determination by the Board of Lough Gill Distillery and the wider team, delivering on our original 2015 vision, when we acquired the site. I would like to formally acknowledge the support of Sligo County Council and its CEO Martin Lydon, which was a key driver in the decision for Sazerac to invest in Sligo.”

For more information, visit https://www.athru.com/distillery.