John O'Connell, Founder West Cork Distillers - Irish Whisky Connections Series

West Cork Distillers Director and Founder John O’Connell grew up in the small fishing village of Union Hall in County Cork, Ireland, population under 200. His love and affinity for his homeland is not only apparent, it is also the primary reason that, in the early 2000s, O’Connell, along with two childhood friends, decided to build a distillery in West Cork. The fishing industry had experienced a devastating decline and the trio of friends wanted to do something that would help the community and boost the economy of the region. In 2003, without little to no knowledge of the Irish Whiskey industry, O’Connell and partners jumped into the business and opened West Cork Distillers. At that time, it was the first new distillery built in Ireland since 1987.
The #irishwhiskey industry had almost disappeared in the 1950’s and O’Connell admits the early years were far from glamorous. West Cork began its operations with two small stills in a room at the back of one of the partner’s houses in Union Hall. With hard work and determination, their gamble paid off and, In 2014, operations moved to a new, large distillery on a 12.5 acre site near Skibbereen, a small maritime town, which is also located in West County Cork. Today it is the oldest and largest independent distillery in Ireland, with distributors across the globe, and its award-winning West Cork Irish Whiskey now sold in almost 70 countries. However, O’Connell considers his greatest success is being able to employ about 150 people and contribute significantly to the economic well-being of the community.
In 2021, O’Connell was introduced to Jeff Hopmayer, Founder of the Brindiamo Group, one of the largest bulk bourbon and whiskey suppliers in the world. The two formed a partnership that has resulted in the first dedicated Brindiamo warehouse in Ireland, located on the grounds of West Cork Distillers. Brindiamo has been building up resources in Ireland for several years and now has accumulated approximately 10,000 barrels of whiskey, which is being stored in the new warehouse, nearly filling up the 12,000-barrel storage capacity. With a shared goal of expanding the Irish Whiskey market, O’Connell and Hopmayer are anticipating continued growth, additional warehouses and a bright future!
To learn more about West Cork Distillery, visit: www.westcorkiri...
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