Spectac International feature in IBD article
The Teeling Distillery has been a high profile project, having featured in the TV3 documentary “Whiskey Business” and with a blitz of publicity surrounding the opening of the distillery itself – given that it was the first distillery to open in Dublin in over 100 years. A visitor centre was also opened and project involved a significant investment in a state-of-the-art facility.
Spectac International was delighted to be chosen as a key supplier and we were responsible for the the design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of a complete, automated distillery within a timeframe of just 4 months! You can read the Case Study to learn more – it’s a fascinating story and it’s work that we are very proud to be associated with.
Boom & Bust & Back Again!
The latest publicity for the distillery comes in the form of an article full of industry insight, written by Gerry McGovern and published by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) in the trade magazine “Brewer & Distiller International” this June, 2016. Gerry outlines the history of the distillery business in Ireland as a boom and bust scenario – hard to believe that in the 1800’s Ireland was the biggest manufacturer of whiskey in the world! Then came World War 1 and prohibition in the States as well as stiff competition from Scottish distilleries and other regions – by the 1940’s or so, there were few distilleries left in the marketplace. Gerry points out that the turning point for the industry came when some of the larger producers left in Ireland merged and strengthened over the 60’s and 70’s and in “89 John Teeling set up the Cooley Distillery – making a huge success of the business and ultimately selling out for €75 million in 2011. In this context it was a natural evolution for the family to establish a new distillery and where better than in the heart of Dublin, in the Liberties, where the Teeling ancestors had a distillery back in 1782!
Fermentation Vessels Offer Future Capacity
Gerry visited the distillery a few months back and was immediately impressed with the whole set-up. He noted that while wooden vessels are in use for most of the current fermentation needs, the stainless steel fermentation vessels fabricated by Spectac International will facilitate growth at the facility as demand increases and the business expands further into overseas markets. Spectac International was also mentioned in relation to the extensive pipework we installed across the facility.
In fact not only did we plan design and fabricate many of the components of the entire solution, we also integrated PLC controls to offer fully automated production at the facility. Over time this system will offer a highly efficient production solution for Teelings, which will also save significant operational costs.
See our Systems in Action – Take the Tour!
If, like Gerry, you’d like to visit and see a functioning distillery in action, you can take tours of the distillery and you might even get a chance to taste the whiskey – it’s essential market research surely?
Alternatively if you’re in the trade and you buy components like fermentation vessels or you are interested in developing a complete, automated distillery facility, contact Spectac International – we would welcome your call.
