(Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via AP)
On Saturday, Irish Distillers announced that it will be pausing production at its Midleton Distillery from April until summer. The facility, the single largest distiller of Irish whiskey in the world, is responsible for recognizable brands including Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers and Clontarf 1014.
The distillery typically closes its doors for one month a year; the current closure is expected to take at least three. Distillery owner Pernod Ricard says the closure is part of a "routine, periodic review."
“This review demonstrates our ability to be agile with our production cycles and has been enabled through improved operational efficiency and state-of-the-art production facilities,” a spokeswoman for Irish Distillers said in a statement. “We remain fully committed to the production of Irish whiskey at Midleton Distillery and have communicated this adjustment to our staff, suppliers, customers and contractors to enable forward business planning.”
Why Is Irish Distillers Pausing Production for Such a Long Time?
There are several reasons why Irish Distillers may be shutting down production for longer than usual. The grounds are currently knee-deep in a $52.3 million expansion plan that hopes to make it Ireland's first and largest carbon-neutral distillery by 2026. Included in its roadmap are renewable energy sources like green hydrogen and biogas, alongside a closed-loop capture system to compress and recycle heat waste generated in the distilling process.
Elsewhere, big-name distillers are temporarily halting production for a litany of reasons.
Last week, British firm Diageo announced that its carbon-neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, will pause production and barrel filling until June. Best known for helping out with the production of Bulleit Bourbon, the 72,000-square-foot facility produces up to 10 million proof gallons of liquid per year without using fossil fuels. Diageo explains that Lebanon was closed because the distillery was "ahead of schedule" on efficiency and productivity goals.
Just a few weeks prior, the historic Glenglassaugh Distillery in Northeast Scotland announced a temporary closure of its own. According to distillery owner Brown Forman, the same behind Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whisky, the closure was spurred by a shared production model with Benriach Scotch that resulted in an "occasional silent season."
Diageo, Brown Forman and Pernod Ricard have all been subject to industry headwinds over the past year. Amid a competitive atmosphere of trade tensions and declining sales, liquor conglomerates have taken to layoffs and closures as they brace for a fast-changing consumption landscape.
Irish Distillers, however, has faired well enough. The producer reportedly achieved +1% global net sales throughout 2024, buoyed by impressive growth in India (+52%) and China (+99%) thanks to Jameson.
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