Bushmills distillery
Ireland’s oldest, and supposedly, haunted licensed distillery. In truth while the right to distil was granted back in 1608 the current distillery only dates back to 1888 but despite this it’s easily Ireland’s oldest still operating distillery with the New Middleton distillery being built in 1975 and Cooley not popping up until 1987
Bushmills factsheet
| Name | Pronounced | AKA | Region | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushmills | bush*mills | Old Bushmills Distillery | County Antrim | Ireland |
| Status | Active | Whisky Type | Website | Tours Available |
| Active | 1784 - Present | Malt | Bushmills | Tour Link |
| Manager | Distiller | Blender | Owned by | Parent Group |
| David Elder | Colum Egan | Helen Mulholland | Jose Cuervo |
Bushmills Timeline:
1608: The right to distill in the region was granted by James I of England
1784: The Bushmills Old Distillery Company was established though repeatedly fell silent
1860: Jame McColgan and Patrick Corrigan buy the silent distillery
1880: Jame McColgan and Patrick Corrigan form a limited company
1885: The distillery burns down
1888: The distillery is rebuilt
1890: SS Bushmills, a steamship owned and operated by the distillery, makes its maiden voyage across the Atlantic to deliver Bushmills whiskey to America
1911: SS Bushmills ran aground on Nimrod Rock, Penrhos Bay, Anglesey on the 11th January 1911 when on passage from Liverpool for Cardiff in ballast. She was refloated on the 26th August 1911 and broken up Llanerchymor
1923: The distillery is acquired by Samuel Wilson Boyd who anticipating the end of US prohibition gears up the distillery up for expansion and increases production
1939: The distillery again falls silent for the duration of the war
1972: Bushmills joins Irish Distillers Group which was formed in 1966 and floor maltings ceases
1987: Pernod Ricard acquires Irish Distillers.
2005: Diageo acquires Bushmills
2014: Jose Cuervo acquires Bushmills