Cooley

Prior to its purchase by John Teeling in 1985, the distillery was a State-owned potato schnapps distillery. Teeling converted the distillery to a whisky distillery and began a period of innovation and creativity. In 1987 Teeling purchased the historic Kilbeggan Distillery, which had been reopened by locals as a distillery museum and relaunched whiskies under the Kilbeggan and Locke’s brands. Teeling also acquired the long dormant Tyrconnell brand in 1988, but it’s main claim to fame was its peated Connemara spirit.

The distillery was subsequently sold to Beam Inc.in January 2012, the distillery for a reputed €71 million. Since that time not very much innovation appears to have happened at the distillery and the owners appear to be content with range as it is. John Teeling, however set up the Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk and his two children, Jack and Stephen, established the Teeling Whiskey Company in Dublin, who began by releasing ex-Cooley stock purchased under the terms of the sale agreement with Beam whilst they built the Teeling Distillery.