Tullamore DEW whiskey distillery in Tullamore set for further expansion

THE whiskey distillery in Tullamore is set for further expansion after the purchase of another 12 acres of neighbouring land.

That brings the total Tullamore DEW site size off the town bypass to 70 acres, the company has confirmed.

Tullamore DEW owners William S Grant restarted distilling in the town in 2014 at a new purpose-built distillery.

“We started with 12 people here and now we have over 100,” said Tullamore DEW global culture and distillery ambassador Kevin Pigott.

Some estimates have employment at the distillery growing by as much as another 100 in the next 15 years.

“I don't know how many we'll have. It started slower and then we brought in the bottling, where many of the jobs are. And always in construction you get a lot of investment. And we have agency staff and contractors,” said Mr Pigott.

“The ambition is still big, so we'll see how we go.”

The Tullamore site contains all three of the essential elements of the entire operation in one place – distilling, maturing and bottling.

“The plan will be, as we grow, to add more warehousing, to expand the site and hopefully that will lead to more employment.

The bigger the site gets the more people we can hire, the more people we can bring to Tullamore, and hopefully [an increased] multiplier effect.”

Tullamore DEW's latest marketing campaign is focussed very strongly on the character of the town which gives the whiskey its name.

The original distillery was established in 1829 and the revival of distilling has boosted local tourism.

Speaking last Friday, Mr Pigott said: “I was talking to some of the local pubs and they say they see the people coming in and last night my guests couldn't even get a hotel in Tullamore and they stayed in the excellent B&Bs.”

He added: “It's a good sign, because we're not now in May or June, we're in September, so long may it continue.”

The company said it is extraordinary that a small town like Tullamore is now producing the world's second best selling Irish whiskey, with 15.2 million cases sold at home and abroad in 2022.

Business is booming, said Emma Slevin, senior brand manager. “Being the world's second-largest Irish whiskey brand, we're proud of our journey, but even more proud of our roots. Tullamore is more than a name; it's our home. We wanted to share a little of what makes Tullamore town so special with the world, so we're very excited to today launch our new campaign that does just this, in countries right across the globe.”

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Ms Slevin continued: “We began crafting whiskey in Tullamore back in 1829, long before the era of push notifications and photo filters. We wanted our new campaign to highlight the enduring values that continue to drive our success. We hope it serves as a reminder of what matters in life – genuine friendships, authentic conversations, and being in the moment. Cheers to that!”

Tullamore DEW is notably popular in areas such as the Nordic countries and in central Europe. It is the number one selling Irish whiskey in countries such as Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Speaking of its popularity in Sweden, Swedish drinks aficionado and renowned content creator in his home country, Robin Bruhn said: “I'm a big fan of Irish whiskey and ever since my first sip of Tullamore DEW I've always considered this to be a no fuss whiskey that never fails to impress with its unique and fruity flavour. By itself or in an Irish coffee Tullamore DEW is the whiskey I'm always recommending to buy if someone here in Stockholm asks me for the best bang for their buck Irish whiskey.”