“When you take a drop of Bushmills, you’re actually tasting a little bit of the Causeway”: Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan
FOUR hundred and 15 years to the day after the licence was granted for the world’s first distillery, Bushmills and its owner has launched its second, the Causeway Distillery.
The new £37 million state-of-the-art facility, beside the original, is part of spirit giant Proximo's £60 million investment in its Irish single malt distilling and ageing facility at Bushmills over the past five years.
The 39,000 sq. ft. building, situated on Ireland’s spectacular north coast, will blend high tech with ancient craft to double production at the Bushmills site and place Bushmills among the leading single malt whiskey producers globally.
Bushmills Master Blender Alex Thomas
The distillery takes its name from the Giant’s Causeway, the legendary landmark just a stone's throw away, which has inspired Bushmills' whiskey-makers for centuries. The designers have sought to pay homage to this natural wonder on the distillery’s doorstep with a visually arresting structure made of local basalt and limestone, incorporating interlocking and geometric features.
Read More: Bushmills Master Blender Alex Thomas proud of range on International Irish Whiskey Day
Bushmills’ owners Proximo are also set to capitalise on the area’s popularity as a tourist destination. Plans for a visitor experience at the new distillery signal an exciting boost for Irish whiskey tourism and the opportunity to engage new global whiskey lovers. Visitors can expect an immersive experience that includes Sharvagh House - linked to Hugh Anderson, one of Bushmills great whiskey pioneers - bridging the old and new worlds of whiskey-making in the region.
Gordon Dron, Managing Director EMEA APAC, Proximo, said: “This is a proud day for Bushmills and a major milestone since its acquisition by PROXIMO in 2015.
“Consistent with global premiumisation, we are witnessing high double-digit growth of our unique Bushmills Irish single malts in all key segments and across a number of exciting new markets.
Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan
“The Causeway Distillery will enable us to meet the demand of new single malt consumers and seize this fast-growing value opportunity worldwide in the next decade and beyond.”
With Bushmills' single malts experiencing increasing demand across the globe, the key challenge in extending operations to the new distillery has been to maintain the brand's essential taste and character.
To achieve this, Bushmills has combined generations of knowledge and experience with the technical excellence of the new distillery and its processes.
The new Causeway Distillery also deploys the latest thermal technology, which reduces energy usage by 30 per cent and state-of-the-art distilling innovations that have boosted material consumption efficiency by up to 10 per cent.
Colum Egan, the master distiller at Bushmills, said the expansion marked the “start of an exciting new chapter.”
He went on to say: “We are obsessed with exceptional whiskeys - the ingredients, the processes, the wood, the ageing. Our second distillery represents a great step forward in ensuring generations to come will enjoy our renowned signature triple-distilled single malts alongside the innovations of the future.”
The investment in the Causeway Distillery marks Proximo’s unwavering commitment to accelerating the growth of the Bushmills portfolio, which saw depletions grow over 10% in 2022, passing one million case sales for the first time in its long legacy.
To celebrate the opening of the new distillery, Bushmills introduces two high-end additions to its range of products – 25 Year Old and yo Year Old Single Malts. With the 30YO set to retail at a top price of E2,000 (£1990) a bottle, the company describes the launch as a “bold entry into the ultra-prestige” market.
Alex Thomas, Bushmills Master Blender, said: “Today, as we look to the future, it is fitting to release these two rare expressions. They are a testament to our passion for aged single malt.
“Maturing patiently and cared for by a generation of skilled craftspeople, these refined whiskeys have spent a lifetime in hand-selected oak casks and are now ready to take their place as true legends of Irish single malt.”
