Pernod Ricard has confirmed a temporary suspension of distilling at the home of its Jameson Irish whiskey brand.
The move, described by the group as a temporary pause, is the latest in a spate of distillation breaks by international spirits brand owners. Brown-Forman’s decision in January to shift to a “shared production model” for two of its distilleries in Scotland preceded Diageo’s suspension this week of distilling and barrel-filling at its American whiskey facility in Kentucky until June.
On Friday (7 March), Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers division said that it was “adjusting its production schedule for a routine, periodic review” of distillation at Jameson’s facility in Midleton in southern Ireland. The site has an annual production capacity of around 70m litres of pure alcohol.
“The distillery will temporarily pause production in early April and will recommence in the summer to support the sustainable global growth of its portfolio of Irish whiskeys,” a spokesperson said.
“We remain fully committed to the production of Irish whiskey at Midleton Distillery and have communicated this adjustment to our staff, suppliers, customers and contractors to enable forward business planning.”
As well as Jameson, the distillery also produces the Midleton, Powers and Redbreast Irish whiskies for Pernod Ricard. The company offloaded the Paddy brand to Sazerac Co in 2016 for an undisclosed price.
