Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey toasts the opening of the Tullamore Distillery

$50 million investment sees production return home after 60 years

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Sep 17, 2014, 12:36 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tullamore D.E.W., the world's second largest Irish whiskey today celebrated the opening of its new $50 million distillery in its hometown of Tullamore in the Irish midlands. As the first spirit flowed from the stills, to the cheers of hundreds of invited guests, the milestone marked the return of whiskey production to the town, 60 years after the original distillery closed its doors.

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey celebrates the grand opening of its new distillery on September 17th, 2014 in Tullamore, Ireland. (PRNewsFoto/William Grant & Sons, Ltd.)

"This is a true 'Parting Glass' moment for Tullamore D.E.W., as we raise a glass to celebrate the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our 185 year history," said Tullamore D.E.W. Senior Brand Manager Cindy Wang. "Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirits category in the world right now and our new distillery will enable us to meet our production needs over the coming decades."

The new distillery marks a particularly exciting moment for the U.S. market as Irish whiskey continues to be the fastest growing spirit domestically with over 18% growth in the past three years. Under the guidance of the independent family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons, Tullamore D.E.W. grew over 20.6% in 2013 alone. Stateside, the brand will be celebrating the opening with a commemorative event in New York City, complete with a barrel signing led by Patrick Williams, great-grandson of Tullamore D.E.W. founder, Daniel E. Williams. The adorned barrel will be shipped back to Tullamore where it will then be filled and laid to rest to age in the new distillery alongside a similar barrel signed at the Tullamore celebration.

"This new distillery brings Tullamore D.E.W. back to its origins. We are incredibly proud of the Tullamore Distillery and know that its opening has been awaited with great anticipation. We look forward to building on our success to date and helping new fans all around the world discover the magic of Tullamore D.E.W." said Tim Herlihy, Tullamore D.E.W. National Brand Ambassador.

To commemorate the rising of the distillery, Tullamore D.E.W. unveiled the very limited release of 2014 bottles of Tullamore D.E.W. Celebratory Phoenix Single Batch, an exclusive expression of the Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix range. The Phoenix is a highly appropriate symbol for the town of Tullamore and Tullamore D.E.W. It is featured on the town's coat of arms honoring the courageous rebuilding after it was largely destroyed by fire following a devastating hot air balloon accident in 1785 and is a symbol of resilience, optimism and progress; attributes that have led to the opening of Tullamore Distillery.

The Tullamore Distillery features four hand crafted copper stills, designed to resemble the original stills from the old distillery; six brew house fermenters each with a 34,000 liter capacity; and warehouse storage for 100,000 casks. Tullamore Distillery draws the finest natural Irish water from the nearby Slieve Bloom Mountains and will be capable of producing the equivalent of 1.5 million cases of Tullamore D.E.W. annually.

About Tullamore D.E.W.
Tullamore D.E.W. is the second largest Irish whiskey in the world in the fastest growing category. It has been widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs, most recently winning a Gold Medal at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge for Tullamore D.E.W. Original. Additionally Tullamore D.E.W. 10 Year Single Malt won the Chairman's Trophy (highest award) for best Single Malt Irish Whiskey at the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Competition and Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve won the Double Gold Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

With an intriguing smooth yet complex character, Tullamore D.E.W. is triple distilled, but is also a unique blend of all three types of Irish whiskeys; the pot still, malt and grain whiskeys. As a result, Tullamore D.E.W. is three times smoother with an added gentle complexity. Tullamore D.E.W. was the first and remains one of the few international Irish whiskey to pioneer this blend of three.

Created in 1829, the brand's strong heritage started in Tullamore, a town in the heart of Ireland, and was fostered by the vision of an early founder Daniel E. Williams, whose initials live on the bottle to this day. True to its heritage, a new distillery is now being built in the town of Tullamore to bringing Tullamore D.E.W. back to its roots.

Tullamore D.E.W. is best enjoyed to taste, but we recommend neat, on the rocks or served long with ginger beer, fresh lime juice and a dash of bitters in a Tullamore Irish Mule.

About William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world's most awarded single malt Glenfiddich^®, The Balvenie^® range of handcrafted single malts and the world's third largest blended Scotch Grant's^® along with iconic premium spirits brands Hendrick's^® Gin, Sailor Jerry^® Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey and Milagro^® Tequila.

William Grant & Sons has been honored as "Distiller of the Year" by the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition and International Spirits Challenge eleven times over the past 15 years, and most recently by the IWSC in 2013.

Founded in 1964, William Grant & Sons USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. and features one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios in the USA with brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, Milagro Tequila, Grant's, Hudson Whiskey, Gibson's Finest, Monkey Shoulder, Clan MacGregor, Reyka Vodka, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Montelobos Mezcal, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Lillet, Art In The Age, The Knot, and Raynal French Brandy. For more information on the company and its brands, please visit www.grantusa.com.

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SOURCE William Grant & Sons, Ltd.