Glendree Distillery — County Clare Single Malt Whisky

Glendree Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery located near the village of Feakle in the townland of Glendree, County Clare, in the East Clare region of Ireland. It was founded in 2019 and is owned and run by father-and-son team Paul and Alex Loudon, and remains active today. It is notable as the first legal distillery to operate in East Clare since 1661.

History

Glendree's roots go back to 2017, when Paul and Alex Loudon set up a microbrewery on the family farm near Feakle, in the heart of East Clare. Building on the brewing skills they developed there, the pair founded Glendree Distillery in 2019 to move into spirits production, combining what they describe as a passion for science and sustainability with a commitment to producing independent craft spirits. A defining feature of the operation is its water source: Glendree uses 100% rainwater collected on the farm in its production process. The distillery's launch marked the first time spirits had been legally distilled in East Clare since 1661, giving it a symbolic as well as practical significance for the local area. As a young distillery, Glendree began by releasing vodka while laying down new-make spirit for whiskey, which has been maturing in cask; as of the most recent available reporting, an aged Glendree whiskey had not yet been formally released, with the distillery still building out its whiskey stocks for future bottlings.

Quick Facts

• Region: East Clare, County Clare, Ireland
• Founded: 2019
• Owner: Paul and Alex Loudon (independent, family-owned)
• Status: Active

Core Range

Glendree's current core release is a craft vodka produced using the distillery's signature 100% rainwater. The distillery's whiskey has been maturing in cask since production began, and Glendree is expected to add an aged whiskey expression to its range as those stocks reach maturity; specific bottlings, ages and ABVs for the whiskey range had not been publicly confirmed as of the most recent available sources.