Glendalough Distillery
A Wicklow craft distillery that began with poitín and gin, now making finished whiskeys, and owned by Mark Anthony Brands.
Glendalough is the Irish distillery that got in early and has not stopped dressing for the occasion. It was founded in 2011 by five friends from Wicklow and Dublin, it calls itself Ireland’s first craft distillery, it began with poitín and gin before moving on to whiskey, and it now belongs to the Canadian group…
At a glance
House style & flavour profile
Irish whiskey finished in second and third casks, plus gin and poitín.
History
The full guide to Glendalough Distillery
Glendalough is the Irish distillery that got in early and has not stopped dressing for the occasion. It was founded in 2011 by five friends from Wicklow and Dublin, it calls itself Ireland’s first craft distillery, it began with poitín and gin before moving on to whiskey, and it now belongs to the Canadian group behind White Claw. A craft distillery with a very large parent: that is the drinks industry for you. It is also one of the more interesting names in Irish whiskey, which is worth a closer look.
Who owns Glendalough Distillery?
Glendalough is owned by Mark Anthony Brands International, which bought the remaining shares in December 2019 after taking an earlier minority stake. The business has carried on as a separate company under its existing management team, led by co-founders Barry Gallagher and Brian Fagan. So it started independent and no longer is, which is worth knowing when the label talks about craft. For the bigger picture, see our guide to who owns what in whisky.
The history of Glendalough Distillery
The company dates its founding to 2011. The first products on the market were poitín and gin, with sales beginning around 2013, and whiskey followed. The name comes from the Glendalough valley in the Wicklow Mountains, where St Kevin founded a monastic settlement in the sixth century. He appears on every bottle, looking rather more peaceful than most people do at a distillery.
How Glendalough is made
Glendalough puts its energy into two things: foraged gin and finished whiskey. Neither is the quickest way to make a drink, which is rather the point.
Wild botanicals, small batches
The gins use wild plants picked by hand from the mountains around the distillery and brought in within hours. They are slow distilled in batches of under 250 litres, with the cut points set batch by batch by smell and taste, never timed or automated, according to the distillery.
Whiskey with a second cask, and sometimes a third
American white oak is the main maturation wood, and every whiskey is then finished in a second cask, with some getting a third. The finishing casks include Irish, Japanese, French and Spanish oak. The Mizunara bottlings use Japanese oak, which is prized and not cheap. If you want the background on how finishing works, our guide to how whisky is made covers it.
The Glendalough range
- Single Grain Double Barrel Finish: listed at €45 (about £38). Also available as Burgundy, Calvados and Madeira cask finishes, each listed at €60 (about £50).
- Pot Still Irish Oak Finish: listed at €65 (about £55).
- Pot Still Peated: listed at €70 (about £59).
- Double Barrel Cask Strength: listed at €84 (about £71).
- Single Malt Mizunara Cask Finish: listed at €90 (about £76).
- 17 Year Old Mizunara Finish: listed at €290 (about £244).
- Gins and poitín: Wild Botanical Irish Gin and Wild Rose Irish Gin, each €40 (about £34), Four Seasons Irish Gin at €23 (about £19), and Premium Irish Poitín.
These are euro prices from the distillery’s Irish online shop in early November 2026, converted roughly to sterling. UK retailer prices will differ, so shop around. New to the category? Start with our beginner’s guide to Irish whiskey.
Visiting Glendalough Distillery
The distillery is a working site at the Newtown Business and Enterprise Centre on the edge of Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, and it is not generally open to visitors, so there is no regular tour to book. For enquiries, email customersupport@glendaloughdistillery.com. The Glendalough valley that gives the brand its name, with St Kevin’s monastic settlement, is a separate place in the Wicklow Mountains and a very good day out in its own right.
Glendalough Distillery: quick answers
Who owns Glendalough Distillery?
Mark Anthony Brands International, which bought the remaining shares in December 2019. The distillery still runs as a separate company under its existing management.
Where is Glendalough Distillery?
At the Newtown Business and Enterprise Centre in Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, just south of Dublin. It is named after the Glendalough valley, which is a separate place in the Wicklow Mountains.
Can you visit Glendalough Distillery?
Not generally. It is a working distillery rather than a visitor attraction. Email the distillery if you have a specific enquiry.
What does Glendalough make?
Irish whiskey finished in second and sometimes third casks, gins made from wild botanicals, and poitín.
Who is on the Glendalough label?
St Kevin, who founded a monastic settlement in the Glendalough valley in the sixth century.
Thomas Grønvold is the founder of Caskable and a whisky enthusiast who believes the best way to learn about whisky is simply to drink it, compare it, and stay curious. From supermarket favourites to bottles from distilleries around the world, he writes about what he actually tastes and experiences, without pretending you need to be an expert to enjoy a good dram.
Buy the bottles
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