Cooley Distillery
Cooley Distillery: The Independent Spirit of Ireland Cooley Distillery, found in Dundalk, Co. Louth, was the first new whiskey distillery to be set up in Ireland in over 100 years and it is Ireland’s youngest, smallest and only independent whiskey distillery (“The Cooley Distillery”). John Teeling, a successful business enthusiast, investor, and Harvard Business school scholar, who found great interest and opportunity in Irish whiskey, established it in 1987. Cooley began distilling in 1989. The origins of Irish whiskey dates back to around 600 A.D., when Irish monks brought the alembic and the secret of distillation from the Middle East, according to the history of Irish Distillers. The Irish name “uisce beatha” translates to “water of life” (Kennelly, 3). There are four types of Irish whiskey: single malt, single grain, “peated” malts, which are grains dried with Irish peat for a smoky taste, and blended, which contains a variation of malt and grain. The production of each is different by distillation process. Irish whiskey is also aged in oak casks, where the whiskey will gradually take on the flavor and character of the wood cask it is stored in which creates variations in taste, smell, and color.
Cooley’s primary markets are responsible for 80 percent of total sales, and include the U.S., the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany. The largest market for branded sales was Germany, and 50 percent of sales were from its own branded products, but the U.S. sales doubled from 2009 to 2010 and retained Cooley’s most attractive market (Kennelly, 5).
Cooley has a competitive advantage because of their commitment to quality and use of traditional methods to give a piece of Irish heritage in its whiskey. Cooley maintains traditional distillation methods from hundreds of years ago, including making some of their Kilbeggan whiskeys in a 180-year-old pot (Kilbeggan). All Cooley whiskeys are matured in ex-Bourbon casks, with the exception of a few whiskeys finished in
Cooley’s primary markets are responsible for 80 percent of total sales, and include the U.S., the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany. The largest market for branded sales was Germany, and 50 percent of sales were from its own branded products, but the U.S. sales doubled from 2009 to 2010 and retained Cooley’s most attractive market (Kennelly, 5).
Cooley has a competitive advantage because of their commitment to quality and use of traditional methods to give a piece of Irish heritage in its whiskey. Cooley maintains traditional distillation methods from hundreds of years ago, including making some of their Kilbeggan whiskeys in a 180-year-old pot (Kilbeggan). All Cooley whiskeys are matured in ex-Bourbon casks, with the exception of a few whiskeys finished in
Cited: "Distilled Spirits Council of the United States." Economic Contributions of the Distilled Spirits Industry. Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Web. Kennelly, James J. "Cooley Distillery: The Independent Spirit of Ireland." Case Research Journal 34.1 (2014): 1-21. Harvard Business Publishing. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. Kilbeggan Distillery Company Website Smyth, Jamie. "Beam Buys Last Independent Irish Whiskey Distillery - FT.com." Financial Times. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. "The Cooley Distillery - Cooley Peninsula." The Ireland Whiskey Trail. Web.