Sazerac Introduces Hawk’s Rock Distillery in Ireland

Global spirits company Sazerac has announced the renaming of its recently acquired Irish Whiskey Distillery to Hawk’s Rock Distillery. 

Formerly known as Lough Gill Distillery, Hawk’s Rock will continue to produce and age Irish Whiskey under the eye of Master Blender Helen Mulholland on the more-than 100-acres site located in County Sligo, Ireland. This property includes the nationally listed historic landmark Hazelwood House.

The name change reflects Sazerac Company’s vision for the future of Irish Whiskey: the art and science of blending, innovation and respect for Sligo’s heritage, the company says. Named after an outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize-winning poet William Butler (W.B.) Yeats’ play “At the Hawk’s Well,” Hawk’s Rock Distillery aims to become a global hub for Irish Whiskey, while offering a gateway to explore the traditions of Sligo and the surrounding region.

“The renaming of Hawk’s Rock Distillery marks a new, yet familiar, frontier for us,” says Sazerac president and CEO Jake Wenz. “Sazerac is known for its balanced approach to honoring tradition while embracing change in constant pursuit of crafting the world’s best spirits at our distilleries in America, India, Canada and France. Our mission holds true for Ireland, and we are excited to reveal how we are blending time-honored traditions with bold innovation to advance the art of Irish whiskey-making.”

Leading the Hawk’s Rock distillation team as Master Blender is Helen Mulholland, the first female Master Blender in Irish Whiskey history, Chair of the Irish Whiskey Association and a Whisky Hall of Fame inductee. She and her team will lead the creation and blending of Hawk’s Rock’s Irish whiskey brands, the first of which will debut in June 2025.

Sazerac Company acquired Lough Gill Distillery in 2022. Since then, the team has upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernizing the distillery.

Sazerac Company acquired Lough Gill Distillery in 2022. Since then, the team has upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernizing the distillery.

“This rebrand is just the beginning for Hawk’s Rock Distillery,” says Wenz. “Throughout the changes at Hawk’s Rock, our vision remains the same: creating a track record for the aging and blending of award-winning whiskeys – and this name change brings us one step closer to bringing that vision to life.”

While Hawk’s Rock Distillery is closed to the public during renovations, Sazerac has received planning permission to develop a future visitor experience in Sligo.

Sazerac owns and operates distilleries and homeplaces worldwide including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; and Paul John Distillery in Goa, India.

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