Ahascragh VIP Distillery Tour and Warehouse Tasting 2026

Founded by husband-and-wife team Gareth and Michelle McAllister, Ahascragh Distillery is one of Ireland's most innovative new spirits producers. Located in a beautifully restored 19th-century mill in County Galway, the family-owned distillery combines traditional Irish whiskey-making with a pioneering commitment to sustainability, becoming Ireland's first zero-emissions distillery powered entirely by renewable energy. While the distillery's own pot still and single malt whiskeys continue to mature in cask, it has already built an impressive reputation through its award-winning Family Bond Series, which includes the Clan Colla range of sourced and expertly finished Irish whiskeys, the UAIS Triple Blend, and the distinctive Xin Gin. Blending heritage, innovation, and environmental responsibility, Ahascragh Distillery is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most exciting names in modern Irish whiskey.

Our whiskey club group travelled from Ennis to Ahascragh on Saturday, 11th July, where we received a warm welcome from a member of the Ahascragh team. Before the tour began, we were escorted up through the village to enjoy lunch at the Clan Colla Café. Afterwards, it was just a short stroll back to the visitor experience, where we were met by Eoghan. He introduced us to the Ahascragh story, the vision of founders Gareth and Michelle McAllister, and the remarkable restoration of the historic mill that now houses the distillery.

It was then time to cross the road for the distillery tour itself. Eoghan guided us through the production process for both their whiskey and gin, explaining each stage from mashing and fermentation through to distillation. We saw the mash tun, mash filter and fermenters, along with the three whiskey stills and dedicated gin still. One interesting detail was that the distillery double distills its single malt spirit, while its pot still whiskey is triple distilled.

Ahascragh has several bonded warehouses, one of which is located just a short walk from the distillery. Before long we were standing amongst maturing casks, breathing in the unmistakable aroma of aging whiskey. There we were warmly welcomed by Gareth McAllister, who had selected a number of casks for us to sample, giving us a fascinating insight into how the distillery's own spirit is developing as it matures.

Here is a list of the casks we sampled directly from:

• Ahascragh 2yo Double Distilled Single Malt, ex-bourbon, in a French oak finish of 3 different toast levels
• Ahascragh 2yo Triple Distilled Pot Still in an ex-oloroso hogshead
• Clan Colla single malt finishing in tawny port casks - unbelievable colour on these
• Clan Colla single malt finishing in rice wine casks
• Clan Colla single grain finishing in an amarone cask
• Ahascragh 2yo Double Distilled Single Malt from an ex-bourbon cask

After a couple of departing photos it was back to the visitor center to pick up some bottles and souvenirs of the visit before a return to Ennis. A great day out, and we are very grateful to Gareth, Michelle and all their team.