Belfast’s first working whiskey distillery in 90 years is set to open its doors in the Titanic Quarter.
Drinks company Titanic Distillers has invested almost £8m to convert the historic Titanic Pumphouse into what they hope will become Northern Ireland’s newest tourist attraction.
The pumphouse opened in 1911 to service and accommodate the massive White Star transatlantic liners Olympic and Titanic.
Now 112 years later, the distillery company will hope visitors get to experience the workings of the new distillery and hear the story of Belfast’s whiskey tradition.
Peter Lavery, co-director of Titanic Distillers, said: “It’s been quite a journey to get this far but we’re finally here and we can’t wait to open our doors to the public on April 28."
"Whiskey has played an important part in the history of our city but there hasn’t been a working distillery here since the 1930s, so we are delighted to revive this great distilling tradition - bringing Belfast back to the forefront of Irish whiskey production, while at the same time telling the story of a historic past when we led the way globally - not just in shipbuilding but across many areas of industry, manufacturing and innovation.”
Tours of the distillery will begin at £10 with various options up to £100.
On completion, the project is expected to create 41 jobs across a number of areas including operations, distilling, hospitality and sales.
Stephen Symington, co-director of Titanic Distillers, added: “We have embraced the history of our distillery’s location to create a unique product and visitor experience, immersed in the spirit of Belfast’s industrial and maritime past and inspired by the people who worked in Belfast’s shipyard more than a century ago."
“It is important though to recognise that, outside of the site’s massive tourism appeal and historic significance, this is also a working distillery in which we will be able to produce our own products to build on our success to date and really make the most of the growing global demand for Irish whiskey.”