Irish Distillers, the Irish whiskey arm of spirits giant Pernod Ricard, has announced plans to temporarily halt production at its historic Midleton Distillery beginning in April 2025.
The County Cork facility, celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, produces many of Ireland’s most renowned whiskey brands including Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers, the Spot Whiskeys, Method and Madness, and Knappogue Castle.
Operations are expected to resume in summer 2025, according to company statements.
“Irish Distillers can confirm that Midleton Distillery is adjusting its production schedule for a routine, periodic review,” a company spokesperson said. “This review demonstrates our ability to be agile with our production cycles and has been enabled through improved operational efficiency and state-of-the-art production facilities.”
The temporary shutdown comes amid similar production pauses across the global whiskey industry. Diageo recently halted whiskey production at its Lebanon Distillery in the United States on March 7, while Brown-Forman announced in late January it would pause production at Scotland’s Glenglassaugh Distillery, moving to a shared production model with Benriach.
Production Pause During Anniversary Celebrations
The production adjustment comes during a milestone year for the distillery. Irish Distillers announced in January plans to commemorate Midleton’s 200-year distilling heritage with special whiskey releases and events throughout 2025.
Irish Distillers emphasized its ongoing commitment to the facility despite the temporary halt. “We remain fully committed to the production of Irish whiskey at Midleton Distillery and have communicated this adjustment to our staff, suppliers, customers and contractors to enable forward business planning,” the spokesperson added.
The distillery’s rich history began when the Murphy family acquired it in 1825. It later became part of the Cork Distilleries Company after local distilleries amalgamated in 1867. The site expanded significantly in 1975 following the 1966 merger that created Irish Distillers.
Final Release From Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection
The anniversary year will see the release of the sixth and final chapter of the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection, featuring some of Ireland’s oldest and rarest whiskeys.
This 50-year-old expression will contain the final spirits produced at the Old Midleton Distillery before it closed permanently in 1975. The collection began releasing annual chapters in 2020, timed to culminate with the bicentennial celebration.
Irish Distillers CEO Nodjame Fouad highlighted the significance of the anniversary year: “As we look to the future, and in the 200th year of Midleton Distillery, we want to pay tribute to our rich distilling tradition by celebrating our home, our history, our people, our brands and our craft.”
The company plans to showcase pivotal labels from the distillery’s history through digital and visual presentations on its social media channels throughout the commemorative year.
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