Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey A Century in the Making
In Ireland’s western province of Connacht lies the village of Drumshanbo. Located way out in the untamed countryside of County Leitrim, Drumshanbo is truly the road less traveled. In fact, the region hadn’t seen a new distillery open in over 100 years. Enter the inimitable PJ Rigney, a world traveler and spirits expert who knew the rural heart of Ireland would make an ideal home for The Shed Distillery and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
PJ, who has been in the spirits world since the early 1980s, founded The Shed with his wife, Denise, in 2014. (Today, they are happily joined by one of their children, Roísín, who serves as the Visitor Experience Manager and oversees the nature reserve project.) After spending years crisscrossing the globe — from the far-flung corners of China to the wild African Serengeti — PJ returned to his native Ireland with a singular goal. He wanted to craft artisanal spirits, infused with the wonderous places he’d traveled during his curious journeys.
Of course, an Irish distillery needed a signature Irish whiskey. One that respected historic traditions (distilling in custom-built, medieval copper pot stills), used premium quality ingredients (un-malted Irish barley, malted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats), and inspired with its innovations (aging in single-use Kentucky Bourbon casks and Sherry Oloroso casks). The result was Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, a small-batch whiskey that’s exceptionally smooth, creamy, spicy, and a true delight for the senses.
The final piece of the puzzle? A special symbol. Something that embodied the marriage of Irish whiskey making traditions with exciting, unique innovations. PJ picked the jackalope: mythological progeny of a jackrabbit (not a real rabbit) and an American antelope (not a real antelope). Local legend holds that the creature was conceived during a massive lightning storm. He still appears today, along knolls of Drumshanbo, but is always gone in a flurry of feet and antlers before anyone can catch him.
As the first Irish whiskey from the Western province of Connacht in over 100 years, PJ’s Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has revived the region’s spirits tradition. It’s been a long time coming, but as you’ll taste for yourself, it was well worth the wait.
Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey Highlights
The Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, was the first distillery to open in west Ireland in over 100 years.
Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey is triple distilled in custom-built, medieval copper pot stills.
Crafted from malted Irish barley, un-malted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats, and aged in Kentucky Bourbon and Sherry Oloroso casks.
Irish Whiskey Made in the Wild Heart of Ireland
When PJ envisioned his distillery, he saw it nestled in deepest, rural Ireland in the beating heart of the untamed countryside. That’s exactly what he found in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, where he built The Shed Distillery on the edge of a lake. Drumshanbo is a place of curiosity and inspiration, surrounded by nature and immersed in history. From the shores of Lough Allen to the nearby foothills of Sliabh an Iarainn (The Iron Mountain), the area fit every aspect of PJ’s vision. An idyllic Irish land — and the perfect place to craft a bold, new Irish whiskey.
Crafted Using Only Premium Quality Irish Ingredients
As part of The Shed Distillery team’s quest to make what they like to call a Premier Grand Cru single pot Irish whiskey, they use only the most premium quality ingredients. Un-malted Irish barley gives a unique spiciness and depth to the whiskey, while the malted barley is a bit softer, imparting an inherent sweetness and a deeper, fuller body. As the finishing touch, the team adds a small amount of Irish Barra oats. The oats create an elegant creaminess and bring delicious spice notes to the finish, qualities that elevate the whiskey and set it apart from others in its class. As head distiller Brian Taft notes, it’s “a well-balanced whiskey that dances effortlessly between sweet and spice, possessing a full, well-rounded mouthfeel that lingers lightly on the tongue.”
Sustainably Conscious From Farm to Distillery
The Shed Distillery has been certified by Origin Green (Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability program) since 2017. Actively committed to minimizing its environmental impact, the distillery runs on 100% green-sourced electricity from solar and wind power facilities. It has also implemented efficient water management systems, recycling, and reusing water wherever feasible to reduce water consumption. Likewise, for all ingredients, The Shed Distillery prioritizes organic practices, ensuring that the Irish barley and Barra oats used in their whiskey are grown without harmful chemicals.
Beyond the distillery itself, The Shed has established a 32-hectare / 80-acre nature reserve, along with 40 hectares / 100 acres of commonage for livestock, which is shared with local farmers. Led by Roísín Rigney, the team has planted 150 native Irish hedgerows and wildflowers and created a bee haven with six hives (each holding 40,000 bees) to promote biodiversity within the nature reserve. The team is also renovating the old stone cottages on the land, protecting the Irish countryside as well as its fascinating architectural history.
Triple Distilled by Hand in Medieval Copper Pot Stills
The making of Drumshanbo Single Pot Irish Whiskey is a slow, meticulous process that marries classic traditions with PJ’s inspired innovations. Every precious drop is triple distilled in medieval-style copper pot stills, which were custom-built for The Shed Distillery by renowned craftsman Arnold Holstein. As the still heats up, the unique mixture of un-malted Irish barley, malted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats distills down, infusing the spirit with distinctive spice notes and an elegant creaminess.
Once distilled, Drumbshanbo Irish Whiskey is aged in single-use Kentucky Bourbon casks. The American oak imparts hints of vanilla, coconut, and bourbon. Some of the whiskey is also aged in Sherry Oloroso casks, which give warming pot spice and sweeter honeysuckle notes. All the barrel aging is done with no added color and no chill filtration, so the whiskey’s pure color and character shine through in the bottle and, most importantly, your glass.
PJ Rigney: Adventurer in Spirit, Irishman at Heart
PJ Rigney has been called the modern Marco Polo of the spirits world. He’s a self-described serial entrepreneur and inventor who has been dreaming up incredible spirit journeys since the early 1980s when he helped put Irish Creme on the map in America. He is also famous for his wanderlust and the influence of his travels trickles down to every element of The Shed’s delightful spirits. In fact, it’s by exploring the wider world that PJ has gained an even greater appreciation for his native Ireland, with its rich history and wild natural beauty. It’s this uniquely Irish spirit that infuses every drop of Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey.
Giving Back to the Drumshanbo Community
Along with eco-conscious practices, The Shed Distillery remains committed to social sustainability. Between the distillery, Jackalope Café, Honey Badger Bar, and Curious Gift Shop, the team has created 100 jobs in the local community, as well as provided jobs for 15 Ukranian refugees. Recently, the team has started renovating the former local Methodist Church, which was on the verge of dereliction, to create a community center for all to enjoy.
On a national level, The Shed Distillery proudly supports Tidy Towns, an annual competition organized by Ireland’s Department of Rural and Community Development to honor Ireland’s tidiest, most attractive cities, towns, and villages. The Shed Distillery is also a proud member of Repak, a non-profit organization that helps Irish businesses recycle their packaging. Member fees help fund household recycling bins, bottle banks, civic amenities, and business back-door packaging recycling in communities like Drumshanbo across Ireland.
