The Ardara Distillery is a revival of the whiskey-making traditions that once defined the northwest of Ireland.
From its base on the Show Field in the coastal town of Ardara, The Ardara Distillery stands as a striking emblem of renewal. Behind its glass façade, the three copper stills from Forsyths of Scotland are the beating heart of a process engineered to harness every note of smoky, earthy complexity.
“For too long, Irish whiskey has drifted towards a conformity with the familiar – sweet, smooth and easy,” says James Doherty, co-founder of The Ardara Distillery. “At Ardara, we’re answering a call that comes not from market trends, but from memory, from place, and from family. A century ago, my grandfather was an illicit distiller in Donegal and, while he is no longer with us, I know he’d recognise what we’re doing here – grain-in, heavy peated, triple distilled, just as it was in his time. Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a spirit that could only have come from one place – Donegal. This isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about revival: reclaiming the rich, sweet smoky, textured soul of true Donegal whiskey.
The provision of exciting employment opportunities for young people has been a key motivation in the design and development of Ardara Distillery.