Jameson

Ireland
Founded in: 1780

All about Jameson

Probably the most famous brand of Ireland is Jameson. Historically it was founded by John Jameson, a Scottish businessman who became the manager of Bow Street Distillery in 1786. By 1786, it was producing about 30,000 gallons annually.

By the turn of the 19th century, it was the second largest producer in Ireland and one of the largest in the world, producing 1,000,000 gallons annually. the 20th century started harshly for Jameson. Wars, Prohibition, Biritish Embargo hit the industry, and consequently Jameson.

In 1976 Jameson was produced at the Midleton Distillery, and in 1988 it was bought by Pernod Ricard. Now it is one of the biggest selling Whiskeys in the world.

Jameson has around 10 variants. All of them excel with drinkability and smooth character. Some expressions yield to grain, and some to the pot still characters, but all of the Whiskeys are distilled to be delicious.

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All about Jameson distillery

Located just off Smithfield Square in Dublin, Ireland. Jameson Distillery Bow St. is the original site where Jameson Irish Whiskey was distilled until 1971. The facility is currently a visitors center that offers guided tours, tutored whiskey tastings, a bar and a gift shop.

The original distillery on the site was the Bow Street Distillery, founded by John Stein of Kennetpans in 1780. John Jameson, who was related to Stein through marriage, gained control of the distillery in 1805, and in 1810 the distillery was named John Jameson & Son.

In the first years of 20th century, the distillery claimed to be number 1 in Ireland. There is no production in the distillery today, but all the equipment is still on the premises. There were four stills, two of them wash, each holding 24,000 gallons, and heated by both fire and steam coils.

The distillery fell on hard times during the American Prohibition. Ireland’s trade war with Great Britain added fuel to the fire, and the introduction of Scotch Whiskey was nothing short of a death blow.

They eventually decided to form an alliance with their previous competitors: the Cork Distilleries Company and John Power & Son, forming the Irish Distillers Group in 1966.

The Bow Street facility was one of the last distilleries in Ireland to close in 1971. Operations were then temporarily moved to Power’s Distillery in John’ s Lane, Dublin before being moved out of Dublin to the New Midleton Distillery.

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