FDBusiness.com

A new £5 million distillery with a visitor centre and restaurant will be established in Belfast at the old Crumlin Road prison by Belfast Distillery Company. The Victorian jail building has been acquired from the Northern Ireland Executive by BDC, which plans to develop a small distrillery in the A wing of the prison.

Established in January 2011 by Peter Lavery, Belfast Distillery Company has developed two Irish whiskey brands – Titanic and Danny Boy – which are currently being produced at Cooley Distillery in the Republic of Ireland.

“The existing form of the A Wing in the gaol is ideally suited to this new use without compromise to the character or to the architectural and historic interest of this Grade A listed building,” says Peter Lavery. “The BDC will be the first distillery to operate in Belfast for over 75 years and will be bringing back to prominence an industry with which the city has long historical associations. I’m delighted that we will be able to bring the production of Titanic and Danny Boy whiskeys home to Belfast.”