Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey Toasts the Opening of the Tullamore Distillery

17 Sep 2014 --- Tullamore D.E.W., the world's second largest Irish whiskey celebrated the opening of its new $50 million distillery in its hometown of Tullamore in the Irish midlands. As the first spirit flowed from the stills, to the cheers of hundreds of invited guests, the milestone marked the return of whiskey production to the town, 60 years after the original distillery closed its doors.

"This is a true 'Parting Glass' moment for Tullamore D.E.W., as we raise a glass to celebrate the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our 185 year history," said Tullamore D.E.W. Senior Brand Manager Cindy Wang. "Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirits category in the world right now and our new distillery will enable us to meet our production needs over the coming decades."

The new distillery marks a particularly exciting moment for the U.S. market as Irish whiskey continues to be the fastest growing spirit domestically with over 18% growth in the past three years. Under the guidance of the independent family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons, Tullamore D.E.W. grew over 20.6% in 2013 alone. Stateside, the brand will be celebrating the opening with a commemorative event in New York City, complete with a barrel signing led by Patrick Williams, great-grandson of Tullamore D.E.W. founder, Daniel E. Williams. The adorned barrel will be shipped back to Tullamore where it will then be filled and laid to rest to age in the new distillery alongside a similar barrel signed at the Tullamore celebration.

"This new distillery brings Tullamore D.E.W. back to its origins. We are incredibly proud of the Tullamore Distillery and know that its opening has been awaited with great anticipation. We look forward to building on our success to date and helping new fans all around the world discover the magic of Tullamore D.E.W." said Tim Herlihy, Tullamore D.E.W. National Brand Ambassador.

To commemorate the rising of the distillery, Tullamore D.E.W. unveiled the very limited release of 2014 bottles of Tullamore D.E.W. Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch, an exclusive expression of the Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix range. The Phoenix is a highly appropriate symbol for the town of Tullamore and Tullamore D.E.W. It is featured on the town's coat of arms honoring the courageous rebuilding after it was largely destroyed by fire following a devastating hot air balloon accident in 1785 and is a symbol of resilience, optimism and progress; attributes that have led to the opening of Tullamore Distillery.

The Tullamore Distillery features four hand crafted copper stills, designed to resemble the original stills from the old distillery; six brew house fermenters each with a 34,000 liter capacity; and warehouse storage for 100,000 casks.  Tullamore Distillery draws the finest natural Irish water from the nearby Slieve Bloom Mountains and will be capable of producing the equivalent of 1.5 million cases of Tullamore D.E.W. annually.