Sazerac acquired Irish whiskey distillery Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo, Ireland, in June 2022. The distillery sits on more than 100 majestic acres on the nationally listed historic landmark Hazelwood House and Estate in north-west Ireland.
Sazerac, which owns and operates award-winning distilleries and homeplaces worldwide including Buffalo Trace Distillery and Barton 1792 Distillery in Kentucky, A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia, The Sazerac House in Louisiana, Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in France and many others, has announced the renaming of its Irish Whiskey distillery to Hawk’s Rock Distillery.
The name change reflects Sazerac Company’s vision for the future of Irish Whiskey – the art and science of blending, innovation and respect for Sligo’s rich heritage. Named after a prominent outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize winning poet William Butler (W.B.) Yeats’ play “At the Hawk’s Well”, Hawk’s Rock Distillery aims to become a global hub for Irish Whiskey, while offering a gateway to explore the rich traditions of Sligo and the surrounding region.
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“The renaming of Hawk’s Rock Distillery marks a new, yet familiar, frontier for us,” says Sazerac President and CEO Jake Wenz. “Sazerac is known for its balanced approach to honoring tradition while embracing change in constant pursuit of crafting the world’s best spirits at our distilleries in America, India, Canada and France. Our mission holds true for Ireland, and we are excited to reveal how we are blending time-honored traditions with bold innovation to advance the art of Irish whiskey-making.”
Leading the Hawk’s Rock distillation team as Master Blender is Helen Mulholland, the first female Master Blender in Irish Whiskey history, Chair of the Irish Whiskey Association and a Whisky Hall of Fame inductee. She and her carefully-selected team have been entrusted with leading the creation and blending of Hawk’s Rock’s innovative new-to-world Irish whiskey brands, the first of which will debut in June 2025.
Expanded Production and Tripled Warehouse Capacity
Sazerac Company was drawn to the Hazelwood Estate by its historical significance and the cultural richness of Ireland. Since then, the team has upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernizing the distillery, ensuring continued growth while maintaining its commitment to quality.
Related Story – Sazerac Acquires Single Malt Irish Whiskey Maker ‘Lough Gill Distillery’ on 100+ Acre Hazelwood Estate Jun 2022
“This rebrand is just the beginning for Hawk’s Rock Distillery,” says Wenz. “Throughout the changes at Hawk’s Rock, our vision remains the same – creating a track record for the aging and blending of award-winning whiskeys – and this name change brings us one step closer to bringing that vision to life.”
Hawk’s Rock Distillery is currently closed to the public during renovations; Sazerac has received planning permission to develop a future visitor experience in Sligo.
With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world. Over 500 of the world’s most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers’s Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, and many more. Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Hawk’s Rock Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional locations can be found in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few.
Learn more about Hawk’s Rock Distillery.
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