Kilbeggan is a small town in County Westmeath, highly reputed for its long experience in Irish whiskey distilling. For over a century, it produced Kilbeggan whiskey, the county’s flagship beverage, which is still produced today, although production has moved to the Cooley distillery. Although the original Kilbeggan distillery is now inactive, don’t miss the great Kilbeggan Whiskey Museum, the town’s main attraction, where you can discover the history and secrets of this characterful whiskey!

History of Kilbeggan

A town marked by a whiskey distillery

Kilbeggan became part of Irish history in 1757, when John Locke, a wealthy investor of the time, founded the first licensed distillery in Ireland: Locke Distillery. From that moment on, the distillery produced whiskey with character, true to Irish tradition.

The Kilbeggan distillery operated successfully until 1950, when it ceased production and moved to the Cooley distillery in 1994. Only the barrels produced by Cooley are then redirected to Locke Distillery, for longer aging.

Throughout history, the whiskey has been so successful that the town has been considerably boosted, both economically and culturally. Even today, many visitors flock to the town to discover the secrets of this 100% Irish beverage…