by Truth is often stranger than fiction.
Back in 1996 Belfast bus driver Peter Lavery won £10 million on the lottery.
Along with the usual spending, holidays, fast cars & a new house, he also set up the Belfast Distillery Company.
A number of bottles were released under some rather catchy brand names. The most obvious being Danny Boy & Titanic Whiskey which were sourced from the then Cooley Distillery.
The Titanic Whiskey was an easy drinking blend which attracted a fair amount of sales & appreciation.
All was going well until 2011 when Cooley was sold to Beam and at one fell swoop – all supply to 3rd party bottlers ceased as Beam kept the precious liquid for their own stocks!
To secure his own supply of whiskey Mr Lavery decided to start plans for a distillery in the historic building of Crumlin Road Jail.
Everything seemed to be proceeding well.
Then it went quiet.
Very quiet.
Which is usually a sign things aren’t going well.
But all is not lost!
Belfast Distillery Company is now under new hands.
I’m hearing rumours through the grapevine that the project isn’t dead. In fact my sources say it’s very much alive!
Casks Away will be super excited to take whiskey fans into A Wing of Crumlin Jail.
Not to be locked up I may add, but to enjoy a taste of whiskey!
Here’s hoping the tales are true & that once more, whiskey will be made in Belfast.
Sláinte
Images courtesy of The Whisky Exchange and the silent Belfast Distillery Company facebook site.
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