Cooley Distillery, located on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, Ireland, was founded in 1987 by entrepreneur John Teeling. It holds the distinction of being the first new Irish distillery established in over 100 years. The distillery produces both single malt and grain whiskey, featuring small pot stills and continuous stills. Unlike most Irish whiskeys, which are typically triple distilled, Cooley's malt whiskey undergoes double distillation. Since 2011, Cooley has been owned by Suntory Global Spirits, a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan.

History

John Teeling founded Cooley Distillery with the vision of reviving Irish whiskey’s global prominence. He began by purchasing the dormant brand Tyrconnell and the Kilbeggan Distillery, utilizing the warehouses at Kilbeggan due to space constraints at Cooley. The distillery was converted from an older potato alcohol plant, and within two years, it had two column stills operational.

In 1998, Cooley gained significant recognition by receiving a trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) for outstanding quality, marking the first time an Irish distillery had achieved this honor.

On December 16, 2011, Beam Inc. announced its acquisition of Cooley Distillery for approximately $95 million (€71 million), a transaction finalized in January 2012. Beam itself was acquired by Suntory Holdings in April 2014, placing Cooley under the ownership of Suntory Global Spirits. Following the acquisition, public tours of the distillery ceased.

After selling Cooley, John Teeling founded the Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk, while his sons Jack and Stephen established the Teeling Whiskey Company in Dublin, leveraging stock acquired from Cooley to build their brand.

Former Products

Cooley also released a single pot still poitín and a single malt whiskey for the US market under the Michael Collins brand, both of which were discontinued after the Beam acquisition.

Distillation Process

Cooley Distillery employs both column and pot stills, allowing for the production of a diverse range of whiskeys. The distillery’s practice of double distillation, as opposed to the more common triple distillation in Ireland, is believed to preserve more flavor components in the whiskey.

Critical Acclaim

Cooley Distillery has earned over 300 medals since its inception, including titles such as "European Distiller of the Year" in 2008 and 2009, and "Distillery of the Year" in 2008 from the IWSC. Individual awards include an IWSC "Best in Class" for Kilbeggan in 2005, an IWSC Gold Medal for The Tyrconnell in 2004, and World Whiskies Awards Best in Class for Greenore in 2011 and 2012