Ahascragh: Gareth McAllister about Ireland’s first zero-energy-emissions distillery

Sustainability and tradition need not be a contradiction in terms – as the Ahascragh Distillery in the west of Ireland proves. In a historic flour mill that stood empty for almost 70 years, Gareth and Michelle McAllister have built a state-of-the-art distillery that runs exclusively on renewable energy. It is the first distillery in Ireland to produce spirits without energy emissions. In addition to the products that are already being produced, the McAllisters‘ own Irish whiskey will be ready for the market in a few years’ time.

In this interview with Gareth McAllister, we talked about the challenges of renovating a listed mill, the innovative technologies behind climate-neutral distillation and the products.

How did the idea of converting a historic grain mill into a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly whiskey and gin distillery come about?

Gareth McAllister: My wife Michelle and I were living in Hong Kong at the time, and we saw the mill online. We had always had this idea to get involved in the Irish spirits industry and as a home for our brand, we knew it had to be the West of Ireland; it was always going to be the West.

We were in Galway on a business trip and on our way back to Dublin we decided to try and find the mill and have a look at it, so we arrived to Ahascragh and found the mill, in the dilapidated condition it was in, this was 2018, and straight away we knew this was the place for us to build our brand and bring it to life. We always knew that we would look to convert or re-purpose a building, we didn’t want to build from scratch. We also repurposed the building where our café is now, that was previously a shoe shop that had been empty for 15 years, and our milling, batching, bottling, and dispatch plants are all housed in an old hardware store that had been derelict for 20 years. Along with the mill that had been empty for almost 70 years.

Sustainability was always the number one priority for us, and we made that decision early on. Obviously, it wasn’t the most efficient or cost-effective way to do things, but those criteria were lower down the list of priorities.

What were the particular challenges in converting the old mill into a distillery powered entirely by renewable energy?

Gareth McAllister: Our biggest challenge when converting the old mill was its status as a protected structure. This meant that all the work we completed had to be done under the supervision of the conservation and heritage officer of Galway City Council, who was a great help throughout the project, and fantastic to work with. To expand on this further, we couldn’t knock down any walls or make any other changes without her approval first.

On the renewable energy side, I think the mill made that decision for us; it had always been run on hydroelectric power, shown by the split mill race, so that each building had its own separate wheel. Originally, we were planning a small craft distillery operation without burning fossil fuels, completely renewable, but as we progressed it made more sense to maximize the production footprint in the buildings we had, and be constricted by the building itself, instead of the amount of equipment. Looking into it further, it made sense for us to scale up the distillery owing to the design of the heat pump systems and other utilities, to maximize our yield.

We were lucky in that the mill was designed in the way it was. Two separate buildings lend themselves very well to distilling operations because we can house our most hazardous processes in the still house on their own. The building was originally for sale as a distillery in the 1800s, so I think the owners had a vision for it eventually, and we were able to complete that vision.

Can you explain more about the technologies and processes you use to make your distillery carbon neutral?

Gareth McAllister: We are the first distillery in Ireland to produce zero energy emissions spirits. Recognising the vital importance of our impact on the world around us, we have replaced fossil fuels and gas – the traditional energy sources for whiskey production – with renewable energy including wind and solar, partnered with high-temperature heat pumps. This is a first for the industry.

Through a novel means of thermal energy storage, combined with optimal heat recovery, our distillery can recycle energy that would normally be wasted. This makes the process more efficient than a conventional design. The innovative system achieves temperatures above 115° – which is a first in Ireland and the UK. This allows us to achieve a saving of 1690 tonnes of CO2 per year scope 1 and 2 emissions with a 40% reduction in cost over an expected lifetime of 20 years.

We have also reinstalled the original mill water wheel onsite and are working on combining modern hydro technology to integrate the hydro-energy scheme.

Currently you already release whiskeys made by third parties, but you store, blend and bottle them yourself. Can you tell us more about these products?

Gareth McAllister: While waiting for the ‘newborn’ Ahascragh spirit to mature, we have launched the Family Bond series of hand-selected releases. These special releases, although not distilled in Ahascragh, are partly matured, finished and blended by us and bottled at the distillery home in the West of Ireland. The Family Bond series includes UAIS Irish Whiskey and Clan Colla Irish Whiskey.

UAIS The Triple Blend is a unique fusion of Pot Still, Single Malt & Grain Whiskeys, aged in Ex-Bourbon & Virgin Oak casks. The UAIS bottle is made from the most eco-friendly materials possible; 100% recycled glass and recycled paper for the label with a sustainable wood-stopper and a biodegradable vegetable-based seal.

Clan Colla Irish Whiskey is a celebration of The Three Collas. Caireall Colla Uais, Muiredach Colla Fo Chrí and Aed Colla Menn, three brothers who conquered and ruled over most of Ireland, with Colla Uais becoming Ard Rí: The High King of Ireland in the 4th century. The multi-award-winning range now comprises a variety of aged Irish Whiskey releases including Clan Colla 11 Year Old Blend finished in Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, and Peated casks; and Clan Colla 7 Year Old Single Grain finished in Panamanian Rum casks.

Xin Gin offers a foretaste of your future gin production. What makes this gin particularly special?

Gareth McAllister: Xin Gin is a multi-award-winning gin featuring a blend of carefully balanced European and Oriental botanicals and we are now producing it onsite at Ahascragh Distillery. It is an expression of what my wife Michelle, and I, love most about the two places we have called home – Asia and Ireland. The word ‘Xin’ (pronounced ‘shin’) means ‘heart’ or ‘feelings’ in Mandarin and the bottle design features Celtic and Asian influences.

A juniper-led dry gin, Xin Gin boasts fresh citrus notes of orange zest and lemongrass combined with the exotic taste of the Asian fruit, persimmon, held by an earthy, herbaceous undertone of dill and cinnamon spice, each adding depth and producing an exquisite taste.

Xin Gin pays homage to tradition while embracing the spirit of innovation and is already making waves in the industry. Xin Gin was awarded a Masters Medal at The Global Gin Masters 2023. Other recent wins for Xin Gin include a double gold medal at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and “Best in Ireland” at The 2024 Gin Guide Awards for the third year in a row.

What role do the current Whiskeys and Xin Gin play in the future development of the flavour profile of your own products?

Gareth McAllister: What we currently have on the market is very clearly sourced liquid; it comes from someone else’s distillery. In a few years’ time, we will be selling a spirit unique to this distillery, which we want to be able to set apart from our current releases. Locality is very important to us: we use water from the well in Ahascragh and we use barley from local growers. The wood management system will be the same, but I hope the final product will be better. Looking at the likes of our Clan Colla range, the finish on each bottle is the more empowering, dominating aspect. After it’s been in two or three different casks for the number of years specific to that release, the actual spirit influence in the end is quite minor.

We hope to be able to look back on our current whiskeys and say that we’ve improved and evolved the portfolio. Our process here is different to the process used to distil our sourced liquid, we have separation in our mashing process which is better for yield, and we are maximising our copper contact which gives us a purer final product. Michelle and I are only releasing product that we like ourselves, and we’re happy that so far, that product has been to the liking of so many others; and this how we plan to continue.

How is the local community in Ahascragh and the surrounding area responding to your efforts to make the distillery carbon neutral and environmentally friendly?

Gareth McAllister: We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the community in response to the distillery, the café and our The Clan Colla restaurant, and I think we’re lucky, in that, whether we were a zero-energy-emissions distillery or not, we would still enjoy the same support from the village, and long may that continue. I think that the most important thing for them was to see something done with the old mill, whether spirit production was in there somewhere I’m not too sure.

For us now the most important thing is to get some footfall in the village so that people can come from everywhere to enjoy the guided tours of the distillery, enjoy our café, sample and purchase our spirits, and enjoy our new The Clan Colla restaurant. We want to put Ahascragh on the map, globally, and I think they support us in that.

What opportunities do you see in the German market and how does the partnership with Irish-Whiskeys.de support you in launching your products?

Gareth McAllister: The German market has a growing interest in premium spirits, especially in niche segments like Irish whiskey. Consumers are increasingly seeking high-quality, authentic, and artisanal products. This creates an opportunity to introduce unique offerings that stand out.

More importantly, the growing consumer demand for sustainability presents a significant opportunity for credible eco-friendly products like ours. We are on a mission to help family and friends celebrate meaningful moments and occasions with innovative and sustainable premium Irish spirits.

Irish-Whiskeys.de is an established platform that specializes in Irish whiskey, giving our brands instant credibility and access to a targeted audience of German whiskey enthusiasts who trust the site for recommendations and purchases.

The partnership with Irish-Whiskeys.de allows us to streamline the process of launching our products and reaching specialist retailers and restaurants in Germany, as well as selling directly to consumers through its website.

What are your long-term visions for Ahascragh Distillery, both in terms of products and environmental goals?

Gareth McAllister: The long-term vision for Ahascragh Distillery combines innovation in product offerings with a strong commitment to sustainability. In terms of products, the goal is to continue developing a diverse and high-quality range of premium products.

The aim is to create products that reflect both tradition and modern craftsmanship, while also exploring new expressions that push the boundaries of flavour, cask innovation, and aging techniques. With a strong foundation in Ireland, the next few years is all about growing international sales for our brands. With our premium portfolio, we want to be in premium accounts, in the on and off-trade, in Ireland and internationally. In two to three years our own spirit will be ready as premium whiskey, and we look forward to bringing that to market.

On the environmental side, Ahascragh Distillery is committed to becoming a leading example of a sustainable distillery. We are driven by the ambition to change how Irish whiskey and gin are produced by decarbonising the energy process, tightly monitoring our water usage, sourcing local ingredients and using the most sustainable packaging possible. We have committed to a goal to remove plastic from all of our bottle seals.
The water we use is sourced from our own two wells on-site. Our fully automated plant, featuring a clean-in-place system, sets us apart in the industry. This system not only measures water usage but also minimises it through automation. We prioritize community-driven initiatives that contribute to long-term environmental stewardship.

By integrating cutting-edge production methods with sustainability, the vision is to craft not only world-class spirits but also a legacy of responsible and eco-friendly practices.

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+++ We would like to thank Gareth McAllister for the open and very interesting interview! If you also have an interesting brand, then we should talk. Just send us an e-mail with the subject “about-drinks interview” to redaktion@about-drinks.com – we look forward to hearing from you! +++