Blackwater Distillery

One of the standouts of the modern Irish whiskey renaissance, Blackwater Distillery is an Irish distillery in Ballyduff, County Waterford. Established in 2014, it produces gin, vodka and traditional Irish whisky, with a focus on pot still character, small-scale production and in-house bottling.

Blackwater built its name on two pillars. First, gin that went beyond the usual lemon peel and “hand selected botanicals” script. The team has made a range of gins, seasonal bottlings and vodka while whisky matured in cask, the classic modern distillery survival trick: sell white spirits now, wait for brown spirits later, try not to panic.

The other pillar is its leader, founder Peter Mulryan. He’s been an outspoken critic of the dominant brands in Irish whiskey, particularly with regards to single pot still legislation, and has created one of the most engaging, informative, and essential brand blogs in the business. Seriously worth a read.

The whisky side is especially interesting because Blackwater is drawn to historic mash bills. The distillery produces pot still and single malt Irish whisky, drawing on older Irish whiskey styles rather than simply copying the smooth, triple distilled template most drinkers already know. The name of its whiskies are also worthy of note, from Oaty McOatface, The Full Irish, Planxty Wilcox, Peat the Magic Dragon, and our personal favourite: Starburst Spice Bag.