Midleton Distillery has helped shape the global whiskey industry across two centuries – here’s a snapshot of its story in 10 fascinating talking points

In its two centuries of distilling, Midleton Distillery has helped shape the global whiskey industry. From staff relations to technological change and global brand marketing, it has directed the fate of whiskey making in Ireland and beyond. The people and places at this historic Co Cork facility experienced the highs and lows of Irish whiskey making –  from its seemingly unstoppable popularity in the 19th century to the devastating declines in the 20th century and its eventual return to the world stage. 

Through it all, Midleton has taken a very singular approach to its production and staffing. The Old Midleton Distillery opened in 1825, with its predecessor, the new Midleton Distillery, opening in 1975. A third iteration of the distillery is in the works under the guidance of its current owners, Pernod Ricard. The French drinks conglomerate bought Midleton’s owners, the Irish Distillers Company, in 1988.

Irish Distillers resulted from a protectionist merger of the last major whiskey companies – Cork Distilleries Company, John Jameson & Sons and John Powers & Sons (and later and temporarily Bushmills) into a merger at Midleton. The merger of these powerful distilling families brought a world of history to the Co Cork village of Midleton.

Here are ten talking points on this storied distillery:  

1. The World’s Biggest Copper Pot Still

The Old Midleton Distillery once operated the largest working copper pot still in the world. With a capacity of 143,000 litres (31,618 gallons), it was built in 1854. Heated by flame, a team of “fire men” were employed to keep the heat burning and the distillery safe. 

Two new Forsyth-built copper pot stills arrived at Midleton in 2021. These are also among the biggest in the world, at a capacity of 75,000 litres each. You can see them in operation and experience the original “world’s biggest” on the distillery tour.

2. Maturation Warehouses

Irish Distillers operates more than 160 maturation warehouses at or near Midleton. There are 74 on the Midleton Distillery grounds and some 88 more in nearby Dungourney. 

Each warehouse can hold more than 16,000 barrels, adding up to over 2 million casks currently in maturation. Collectively, this is said to be more than the combined total of all other whiskey casks maturing in Ireland, North or South.

3. Midleton Very Rare has its own warehouse

The historic Warehouse A2 is a single-storey building that holds some of the very finest of Midleton’s distillate. Built in the 1860s, many of the oldest and most expensive releases have emerged from this dark and atmosphere-laden building in recent decades. 

Warehouse A2 is dwarfed by the modern warehousing facilities on the site, but carries a personality and presence that cannot be replicated. 

Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition and each of the six chapters in the Silent Distillery Collection have emerged from within the heavy stone walls of this oldest of Midleton’s warehouses. A moment alone in this remarkable building conjures centuries of craftsmanship and care. You can presume it’s haunted.  

4. Upstairs in the Distiller’s Cottage

For history buffs, the ultimate destination at Midleton is the incredible document archive located upstairs in the Distiller’s Cottage. While only certain visitors can access the cottage itself, once home to the various master distillers and their families, the archive is an even more exclusive destination. 

The lucky few who experience the temperature and light-controlled document archive upstairs bear witness to centuries of record-keeping from all the distilleries that make up Irish Distillers – Jameson, Powers and Midleton itself. Not ordinarily open to the public, it is a historical treasure trove of order books, staff ledgers, mash bill recipes, contracts with publicans (pictured below) and board meeting minutes that reveal the minutiae of the distilling world from the 19th century onward.

Boxes of order ledgers, customer correspondence and bottle labels from all over the world demonstrate the global reach of Irish whiskey a century ago. Managed by archivist Carol Quinn, the collection is currently being digitised for online public access.

5. The Daily Grog

Every member of staff at the Old Midleton Distillery received two glasses of whiskey per day. One in the morning to get them going and one in the evening to wind down. Known as the Daily Grog, an additional glass of whiskey was allowed for anyone doing so-called “Dirty Work” such as emptying grains or cleaning still houses.

6. The Punishment Book

One of the most fascinating records in the Midleton archive is the Punishment Book. This giant ledger documented the punishments served on staff members for infringements such as smoking in the still room, pilfering or being absent without leave. 

More often than not, the punishment was a one or two-week freeze on their daily grog allowance, usually for smoking. However, the records show that people were dismissed for “pilfering” (stealing) and given final warnings for being absent from their posts without permission. 

7. One brand to rule them all

Among the seven whiskey brands produced at Midleton, one rules them all, in volume at least. Jameson shipped a record 10.4 million cases in 2022, making it the biggest Irish whiskey brand in the world and among the top five whiskey brands by sales globally. 

Jameson’s six brand siblings produced at Midleton are: Redbreast, Powers, Spot Whiskey, Midleton Very Rare, Method & Madness and Knappogue Castle. 

8. A Lot of Hot Air

The volume of whiskey lost during maturation at Midleton (the so-called Angel’s Share) is said to equal the equivalent of more than 30,000 bottles per day.

9. Extra Mature

Midleton has produced the oldest whiskey in Ireland with the Silent Distillery Collection. The six chapters of this series contain vintages of up to 50 years old and also represent some of the most expensive whiskey produced in the country.

10. Another sequel: Midleton Distillery 3

A brand new Midleton Distillery is underway. Set to be built on a 55-acre site adjacent to the current distillery, the third iteration of Midleton will create 800 construction jobs and is estimated to cost €250 million to build. 

Designed to allow for an expansion of its distillation output, it is expected to require 50% more grains to fuel future distillation ambitions. It is also intended to operate as a carbon-neutral facility. As Midleton currently aims to source as much of its raw materials from surrounding counties, this is a great news story for Irish agriculture.