Sazerac renames Lough Gill Distillery

23 April, 2025

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 master blender Helen Mulholland on the over 100-acre site located in County Sligo, Ireland.

Sazerac president and chief executive, Jake Wenz, said: “This rebrand is just the beginning for Hawk’s Rock Distillery. 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.”

Named after a prominent outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize winning poet William Butler Yeats’ play ‘At the Hawk’s Well’, Hawk’s Rock Distillery aims to become a global hub for Irish whiskey.

Mulholland will lead the Hawk’s Rock distillation team as they lead the creation and blending of Hawk’s Rock’s new Irish whiskey brands, the first of which will debut in June 2025. 

Sazerac Company acquired Lough Gill Distillery in 2022, and has since upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernising the distillery. 

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





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