Midleton opens up to new distilleries

New entrants to the Irish whiskey market travelled from all over Ireland to attend a major workshop hosted by Irish Distillers at Midleton Distillery, County Cork, recently

This marked the launch of the Irish Whiskey Association’s new ‘Knowledge Still’ programme, a peer-to-peer mentoring, innovation and support programme for new distilleries.

The Knowledge Still programme offers new entrants a structured programme of workshops, seminars and one-to-one support from experienced distillers and industry experts on a range of topics including best practice distilling, innovation in distilling & blending and health and safety management.

The programme seeks to ensure that all Irish whiskey producers, particularly recent entrants to the market, have access to expert knowledge and guidance from experienced mentors in the industry.

“The Knowledge Still programme will ensure that all distillers and producers, both new and established, are following standards of best practice and producing a high-quality Irish whiskey product,” explained William Lavelle, Head of the Irish Whiskey Association, at the launch.

The programme will ensure that as industry growth accelerates, products will continue to comply with the Irish whiskey ‘technical file’ and other statutory requirements.

In welcoming peers from 14 distilleries across the country, Brian Nation, Master Distiller at Irish Distillers, said, “As the category continues to evolve, we want to make sure we support one another and build on the high standards and innovative thinking that has served the sector so well to date.”