A spirited approach to whiskey and its sustainable production
Ahascragh Distillery in Co Galway is the first whiskey maker in Ireland to be powered entirely by renewable energy
Living in China and Hong Kong, Gareth and Michelle McAllister saw the opportunity for Irish whiskey growth and set up their eco distillery in Galway – the first of its kind in the country.
Ahascragh Distillery is completely powered with renewable energy, 70 per cent from windfarms and 30 per cent from onsite solar panels and hydro, said McAllister. “We are using the original wheel from the old mill and the whiskey and gin we produce is zero-emissions and carbon neutral.”
“A key differentiator is our drive to be Ireland’s first zero-emissions distillery of this scale,” he said. “Ahascragh Distillery engaged FDT Consulting Engineers and Project Managers to undertake an energy-efficient design review of the proposed distillery in Ahascragh. Some key features of the new technology is that, unlike other distilleries in Ireland, the heat delivered to the distillery will not require the combustion of any fossil fuels or gas, and will utilise green electricity.”
“Heat will be provided to the distillery through heat pumps which means that there will be no flue-related emissions, or impacts on the local environment. The heat pump design, heat recovery and thermal storage means that the energy inputs of the distillery are a third of traditional technology. The building itself has been protected with much of the original machinery and wooden beams being restored and reused.”
“We saw a gap in the market,” McAllister said. “Whiskey is popular in Asia, but premium Irish whiskey is rare. Over the next 15 years, Asia will go from 20 per cent to 66 per cent of the world’s middle class and exports to Asia grew 362 per cent from 2013 to 2019.”
Projections show a CAGR of at least 20 per cent. McAllister said that India is growing the fastest – one in every two bottles of whiskey sold globally by 2025 will be bought in India.
Ahascragh Distillery will be a world class distillery and visitor centre in Co Galway, said McAllister. Gareth and Michelle McAllister are a husband-and-wife team from Dublin. Having lived and worked in countries across Europe, the US and Asia, they returned to Ireland with the dream of turning their passion for Irish spirits into a family business.
“Our goal is to create quality Irish spirits with innovation, transparency and flair. We are passionate about distilling some of the first zero-emissions spirits in Ireland and changing the traditional energy source used for Irish whiskey production. We want to help family and friends across the world celebrate meaningful moments and occasions, with quality Irish whiskey and gin from the west of Ireland.”
Gareth McAllister is a certified distiller and chemical engineer with over 30 years of experience in the chemical and process industries. Most recently based in Hong Kong as president and officer of a leading multinational, McAllister has achieved commercial success in managing large-scale manufacturing operations and businesses. Now, he is turning his passion for Irish whiskey into a family, global business.
Why invest in Irish whiskey? McAllister said that Irish whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world. “The growth of Irish whiskey over the last decade was 140 per cent and global demand currently surpasses supply. Sales are set to double by 2030, eclipsing Scotch whisky.”
McAllister said that Ahascragh Distillery now has three brands on the market with more products launching – Clan Colla Irish Whiskey, UAIS Irish Whiskey and Xin Gin. “Prestigious international awards for our products include IWSC gold and silver medals, The Spirits Business Gold and Silver Medals and the Gin Guide Awards ‘Best in Ireland’. Most recently Clan Colla Irish whiskey won Gold at the prestigious Irish Whiskey Awards 2022.”
“We are focusing on the lucrative Asian market and have a highly experienced and well-connected management team. Our drive to be carbon neutral and zero-emissions using renewable energy is the first of this scale in Ireland.”
“We offer investors multiple revenue streams including spirit, cask and merchandise sales, third party bottling, our café, tours and events. This makes up the five revenue streams currently running with three more once the distillery opens.”
He said that Ahascragh has a very unique location in a 19th-century historical building. There are 3.5 million visitors to the west of Ireland annually with 400,000 of these coming to east Galway within a 60km radius of Ahascragh.
Ahascragh Distillery’s EIIS offering means that 40 per cent of your investment amount can be claimed as relief in 2023. The distillery is offering a minimum investment of €25,000 in B Redeemable Shares. The invested term is five years, and the predicted return is the amount invested +12.5 per cent (2.5 per cent per year). Gross return is 84 per cent with tax relief.
“We are currently employing 15 people in the village and within three years that will climb to 40. These are local job opportunities through support from the EIIS programme.”
“Last year we put through 40 EIIS applicants, so have a track record with investors,” he said.
For more information visit ahascraghdistillery.com
