🥃 Cooley
Irish distillery on the Cooley Peninsula in Louth, founded in the late 1980s; makes Kilbeggan, Connemara, Tyrconnell and Greenore; owned by Suntory Global Spirits.
Cooley is an Irish distillery on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, near Dundalk. It was founded in the late 1980s: Difford's Guide gives 1988, other sources 1987. It makes several types of Irish whiskey, malt, blended and grain, and its owner today is Suntory Global Spirits, part of the Japanese Suntory group.
History. The distillery was founded by John Teeling, although Difford's Guide itself names no single founder, only a group of Irish enthusiasts. It was later bought by the American company Beam: Difford's Guide mentions a sale in 2012, while other sources write of the deal being announced in December 2011. After Suntory bought Beam, Cooley became part of its group; the sources give differing dates for that step.
How it is made. The main plant in Dundalk runs column stills, while the second site at Kilbeggan has only copper pot stills. Connemara is a double-distilled single malt made from barley dried over peat fires, which is why it is smoky.
Range. Kilbeggan is a blended whiskey that Cooley revived in the 1990s, Tyrconnell is a malt whiskey launched in 1993, and Greenore is an 8-year-old single grain whiskey named after a former distillery. They all have different profiles and different strengths.
Why this matters to you. Cooley is the name of a distillery, not of one bottle: on the label look for Kilbeggan, Connemara or Tyrconnell itself. They all carry the "Irish Whiskey" GI with a minimum ageing of 3 years. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1987–1988, John Teeling (Riverstown, County Louth); the year differs between sources |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | GI "Irish Whiskey" (Technical File; Reg. (EU) 2019/787) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | barley and malt, grain for grain whiskey; peated malt for Connemara |
| Distillation method | column stills in Dundalk; pot stills in Kilbeggan; Connemara twice |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in wooden casks under the GI rules |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV under the GI rules |
How it connects to Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Suntory Global Spirits
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Irish Grain Whiskey, 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Tullamore Dew, 🥃 Tullamore Dew, 🥃 Redbreast, 🥃 Redbreast, 🥃 Bushmills, 🥃 Bushmills
Frequently asked questions
Is Connemara really peated?
Yes. It is a double-distilled single malt made from barley dried over peat fires, so it is smoky, which is unusual for Irish whiskey.
Which brands are made at Cooley?
Kilbeggan, Connemara, Tyrconnell and Greenore; according to Difford's Guide, brands owned by others were also bottled here.
Who owns Cooley?
Suntory Global Spirits, and before that, from 2012, Beam.
Where is the distillery?
On the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth. The main plant is in Dundalk, and a smaller one, with pot stills only, is in Kilbeggan.
When was it founded?
In the late 1980s: Difford's Guide writes of 1988, other sources of 1987.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Paddy · 🥃 Midleton Very Rare · 🥃 Connemara · 🥃 Powers · 🥃 Bushmills · 🥃 Tullamore Dew
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Cooley Distillery (Riverstown, Co. Louth, established 1988, Dundalk column stills, Kilbeggan pot stills, Connemara, Tyrconnell 1993, Greenore, sold to Beam 2012, Suntory Global Spirits)
- Revenue (Ireland): Geographical Indication for Irish Whiskey and Irish Poteen/Poitin (GI verification, Tax and Duty Manual)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019): categories of spirit drinks (whisky/whiskey, vodka, gin) and geographical indications
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)