Ireland’s Wicklow region is a land shaped by nature and centuries of tradition. That was all it took for Glendalough Distillery to move in, with the aim of producing one of the finest whiskeys on the market today! This distillery, sadly closed to the public, was created by a group of friends from Wicklow and Dublin, driven by a passion to revive the heritage of craft distilling in Ireland. And the result is admirable: the establishment produces a top-quality beverage, one of the Emerald Isle’s rising stars!
Glendalough distillery is located in a glacial valley nestled in the Wicklow mountains, not far from the famous (and ultra-touristy) monastic site of Glendalough.
The distillery’s philosophy is inspiring: it aims to revive the heritage of Irish-style craft distilling – a heritage that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, when Ireland had over 200 licensed distilleries and who knows how many more unlicensed. These distilleries produced various styles of poitín, whisky, gin and absinthe… beverages that are still popular today!
And what a brilliant idea it was to choose the Glendalough region as the place to set up shop! In Ireland, the art of distillation originated in the monasteries. It was here, at Glendalough in particular, between the dry stone walls, that the stills distilled their precious nectars.
That’s all it took for the group of friends to decide to set up shop not far from this world-famous historic site, in the midst of wildly beautiful landscapes steeped in exceptional history!
Glendalough distillery produces mainly whisky, Poitín and gin. All are produced from fresh, wild ingredients that are harvested in the mountains around the distillery and used within hours of picking by their own foragers.
The establishment offers an astonishing range of whiskeys, made up of single malts, single grains and Pot Stills, aged in bourbon casks and finished in a second and, in some cases, a very different third cask.
They also offer poitín (currently very fashionable in Ireland), which is triple distilled in a traditional copper still from malted barley and spring water.
As for the gin, their range is interesting and will delight enthusiasts.
Their bottles are easily recognized by the depiction of St Kevin on each label. (As a reminder, St Kevin was the founder and first abbot of Glendalough Abbey).
Unfortunately, the distillery is not open to visitors. But it’s possible to buy their products locally.
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