Latest news with #DrumshanboGunpowderIrishGin
Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Profits decline at maker of Gunpowder Irish Gin to €2.8m as revenues dip
Accounts filed by PJ Rigney Distillery and International Brands Ltd show that the company recorded the drop in profits as revenues declined by 6pc from €18.37m to €17.27m in the 12 months to the end of last September. The US market accounts for 35pc of the Co Leitrim firm's sales and the company in the current year is dealing with the impact of the proposed Donald Trump tariffs as negotiations continue between the US and EU. On the 2024 performance, the directors for the firm state that 'the company performed strongly during the year despite the economic headwinds, inflationary pressures, conflict in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere'. They add: 'Our brands outperformed the general drinks market on the back of substantial increased investments in innovation and brand communications.' The directors say they 'aim to maintain the management policies which have resulted in the company's strong performance in recent years'. 'The operations of the company will remain consistent in the next year with the continued development of our markets and our brands,' they state. Numbers employed increased by one to 85 made up of 40 in production, 37 in sales and marketing, five in administration and three directors. Staff costs increased from €2.43m to €2.72m. Directors' pay last year remained at €150,000. The company recorded a post-tax profit of €2.43m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €386,550. The profits last year take account of non-cash depreciation charges of €428,645. Accumulated profits totalled €17.7m at the end of December. Cash funds increased from €4.95m to €5.68m. The principal activity of the company is to create, distil and bottle spirit brands at The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney in Drumshanbo and market them in Ireland and across world markets. The company's leading brands include Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Whiskey. The directors state that the Shed Distillery Experience had its first full financial year in 2024 and they are confident the attraction in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim 'will continue to be an operational success'.
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Popular Leitrim distillery secures Changing Times Brewery as exclusive beer provider
The partnership with The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo means Changing Times Brewery will be the exclusive providers of draft stout and lager available to the 70,000 visitors who travel to the popular west of Ireland tourist attraction every year. Currently Changing Times Brewery make three draft products, Clockwork Velvet Stout, Daydreamer Lager and After Hours Pale Ale. It is expected that additional products will also be launched over the next 12 months. Speaking about the new partnership with The Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, founder and owner Patrick J. Rigney said there has been a fantastic reaction from customers to the Changing Times beers. "The whole story of the brewery is clearly striking a chord with visitors and the beers themselves are making a strong impression. "We obviously receive a lot of international visitors to The Shed Distillery and many of those will spend a portion of their time in the west of Ireland before travelling on to Dublin. "One of the trends we're seeing emerge is that people are trying Changing Times in The Shed Distillery and then seeking it out when they get to Dublin. 'Tourists really value Irish made, quality products and we fully believe this is something that makes Changing Times a natural fit for The Shed Distillery, while also creating an effective point of appeal for the brewery's beers. "Our expectation is that will continue to grow as more venues stock Changing Times, delivering even more change in the future,' Mr. Rigney concluded. Following strong public demand for the brewery's products an additional nine venues in Dublin and Cork, as well as The Shed Distillery, are now stocking Changing Times beers. These include Dublin pubs Nearys, Searsons, The Step Inn, The Sackville Lounge and Kavanagh's The Temple, as well as Cork premises Rising Sons Brewery Bar, The Fountain and The Fran Well. Between growing the number of venues stocking their products and the increased demand for their products in the founding pubs, Changing Times is now producing over 150 kegs per week, a figure which is expected to rise to 200 kegs per week before the end of the year. This is a marked increase on the 100 kegs per week they were brewing at the time of their launch. The brewery expects this will generate an additional €1.1 million in revenue by the end of 2026. The brewery is located along the banks of the Royal Canal in Glasnevin. It is backed by the publican families behind pubs such as Arthur Maynes in Donnybrook, The Bank Bar and Restaurant on College Green, The Bankers, The Blackrock, The Bridge 1859, Darkey Kellys, Devitts, Doheny Nesbitts, The Ferryman, Lemon & Duke, The Long Hall, McSorleys, The Palace, Sheehans on Chatham Street and The Swan. Other partners in Changing Times include publican Benny McCabe, owner of The Shed Distillery and drink's industry entrepreneur Patrick J. Rigney, as well as brewer Shane Long. Speaking about the growth of the brewery, Noel Anderson, Managing Director of Grand Slam Bars and one of the founding publicans behind Changing Times Brewery said, 'We are delighted to be working with some additional top class pubs and venues in Dublin, Cork and Leitrim to bring Changing Times's products to even more customers. "This has been a reflection of the tremendous interest we've had in our stout, lager and pale ale since we launched. We can clearly see the public has a taste for our products, which is already exceeding our early projections for the brewery. 'People want something that offers a change. "Beers that are new, authentic and refreshingly Irish. "These fantastic new venues that we are working with have picked up on that demand from their customers and know the importance of giving the public quality choices. "We're very proud to be working with these forward thinking venues who can see the need to reflect changing tastes and we hope to be able to announce further new venues in the near future,' Mr. Anderson said.
Irish Examiner
07-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Three new pubs in Cork to stock Changing Times beers as brewery ramps up production
Independent brewery Changing Times will generate an additional €1.1m annually is its expands its reach in Cork, Dublin, and the west of Ireland. The business was founded last October in Glasnevin by Cork brewer Shane Long, backed by renowned publican Benny McCabe of Crane Lane and Rising Sons fame, and 15 high-profile pubs in Dublin, as well as Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin founder Patrick J. Rigney. Growing demand has seen production increase to over 150 kegs per week, and this is expected to reach 200 kegs by the end of year. The brewery will now expand its reach into an three new Cork venues, including The Fran Well Rising Sons Brewery, and Mr McCabe's new venture The Fountain on Cork's Grand Parade. In Dublin, Nearys, Searsons, The Step Inn, The Sackville Lounge and Kavanagh's The Temple will stock the products, while The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo will be the company's first push into the West of Ireland. Changing Times Brewery is located in Glasnevin. The brewery makes three draught products: Clockwork Velvet Stout, Daydreamer Lager, and After Hours Pale Ale, with new beers expected to be launched over the next 12 months. The company's brewer Shane Long is one of the pioneers of Irish craft brewing, starting the Franciscan Well on Cork's North Mall 27 years ago, selling the brand to Molson Coors in 2012. Molson Coors has since moved Franciscan Well production to Cork's docklands, while Mr Long returned to the original microbrewery on North Mall. Speaking to the Irish Examiner in April, Mr Long said Changing Times' initial plan was to service just 50 kegs a week. 'To be turning a profit after this short time is unheard of in the industry," he said. Mr Long is a co-founder of Changing Times, along with Mr McCabe and 15 high-profile pubs in Dublin including The Palace, The Long Hall, The Swan, Doheny & Nesbitts,The Ferryman, Devitts, Darkey Kellys, The Bankers, Arthur Maynes in Donnybrook, Sheehans, Lemon & Duke, The Bridge 1859, The Blackrock, The Bank, and McSorleys. Mr Rigney invested in January, and is now chair of Changing Times.
Extra.ie
21-04-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Warnings on alcohol to be the first casualty of tariff war
Tobacco-style health warnings on alcoholic drinks are poised to be the first casualty of the US tariff war as the Government battles to protect the Irish industry. When the warnings were originally announced two years ago by then-Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, the move was feted as a 'world first'. However, a change in the world market caused by Donald Trump has prompted a sharp U-turn. It is now understood that the warnings will not feature on drinks being exported to the US, although the labels could yet apply to bottles and cans sold within Ireland. U.S. President Donald Trump. Pic:Political unease over what is now being termed a 'draconian' policy has been sparked by the battle the whiskey and indigenous drinks industry faces, with up to four distilleries at risk of closure, and one expert saying the alcohol sector is at a precipice. In an indication of the pressure the industry faces, Drinks Ireland chairman Pat Rigney – founder of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin – said that 'already 90% of Irish production has stopped and that is down to concerns about tariffs'. He warned: 'The industry is at a precipice. This is a challenging moment, especially for fledgling distilleries who need to return to a zero-tariffs regime.' Warning that 'it takes decades to build a brand', Mr Rigney also cautioned of serious side-effects for the struggling American tourist market. He said: 'The four great brands we have are music, literature, Kerrygold, but the really powerful brand is Irish-distilled alcohol. Americans consume the product and want to visit the country that produces it.' Pic: Getty Images In an attempt to make life easier for distillers, the Government is now believed to be moving towards plans to reverse Mr Donnelly's labels. A senior source said: 'It is an example of controlling that which we can control. We can't tell Europe or America what to do over tariffs, but we can make life easier for distillers in this way.' The move to put comprehensive warnings on alcohol products was universally welcomed in 2023. But as the domestic brewing industry struggles to survive the uncertain world of tariff wars, political support for the decision has melted away. One Cabinet minister said: 'There is a big push to pull back on this. Donnelly got this in the back door when no one was looking. It is madness.' They said that a major concern is that the proposals were turning Ireland 'into a European outlier'. Stephen Donnelly. Pic: Alan Rowlette/ They added: 'A couple of other countries have a labelling regime, but we are draco-nian outliers in this regard.' One source said: 'It is doing us significant harm. It is constantly being raised by other European countries at international meetings. In a classic case of the law of unintended consequences, it is hitting the American trade very hard. 'America hates excessive labelling, and the Irish proposals do not go down well with American purchasers. 'Technically, countries such as France label their products, but, typically, the French provide so little information that the Americans have to add further information.' One minister warned: 'The small distilling industry is now a critical employer and in the social fabric of small rural communities. We had four distilleries and now we have 40 and we intend to keep them alive.' Martin Heydon. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Speaking in the wake of Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon's recent trip to America, one source said: 'Relations with America on agricultural issues are warm. They are, despite tariffs, very interested in bilateral trade. There are all sorts of intriguing markets there. America sells over € 100 million in bourbon casks to Europe. They only use casks once. They don't want to lose trade like that.' Commenting on the Donnelly proposals, the source said: 'They're madness. We are utterly conscious of and have a real track record in reducing drink use in Ireland and promoting responsible consumption, but the drink export sector needs support, not rolls of red tape.' The proposals, when signed into law, were described as the 'world's most comprehensive alcohol labelling regulations'. The labels would include: a warning informing the public of the danger of alcohol use; a warning outlining the danger of alcohol use when pregnant; a warning informing the public of the direct link between alcohol and cancers; the quantity in grams of alcohol and calorie content within in the bottle or can; and details of an independent website providing health information in relation to alcohol use. Alcohol warning labels are already present in many other countries, including Australia, Brazil, South Korea, France, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan and the US. Pic: Getty Images However, health sources noted that those warnings included 'substantially less detailed and varied information than those that we will see in Ireland'. Though the law was passed in 2023, a three-year lead-in time until May 2026 was built into the legislation to give businesses significant time to prepare for the change. Commenting on the proposal, one Government source warned: 'Labelling used to be a matter for the Trade Department, but it was moved to Health. If this had been kept away from the Department of Health, we would have been fine, but once it goes to Health, it's in the hands of a bunch of zealots that will only be happy with total prohibition.' The issue is being prioritised by Agriculture Minister Mr Heydon, but a U-turn was publicly raised by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who warned that the introduction of the health warning labels would have to be 'carefully examined again'. In 2024, the Irish drinks industry saw its export value rise by 19% to just over €2.1 billion. Professor Frank Murray, chairman of Alcohol Action Ireland, which campaigns against unsafe drinking, has said the labelling has nothing to do with tariffs and will have no impact on the export of alcohol as it only applies to products sold in Ireland. Government sources insist, though, that there is an international dimension and that 'interventions like this are likely to work better with all EU states working together'. One Health Source remarked that 'if there is a view across the EU that there is a need for further research and for Europe to move in unison on such a complex issue, we would be supportive of such a decision'. However, it is believed Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is amenable to a more cautious approach. One minister said: 'There won't be a pushback if we hit the pause button. It is a Donnelly legacy, so credibility levels are not high.'
