Steeped in the natural beauty of County Sligo, Ireland, Hawk’s Rock represents the rebranding of Lough Gill Distillery, which was acquired by the spirits leader in 2022
Leading global spirits company Sazerac, which owns and operates award-winning distilleries and homeplaces worldwide, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France, and Paul John Distillery in Goa, India, announced the renaming of its recently acquired Irish Whiskey Distillery to Hawk’s Rock Distillery. Formerly known as Lough Gill Distillery, Hawk’s Rock will continue to produce and age Irish Whiskey under the watchful eye of Master Blender Helen Mulholland on the over 100-acre site located in County Sligo, Ireland, which includes the nationally listed historic landmark Hazelwood House.
The name change reflects Sazerac Company’s vision for the future of Irish Whiskey – the art and science of blending, innovation and respect for Sligo’s rich heritage. Named after a prominent outcrop in the Ox Mountains that inspired Nobel Prize-winning poet William Butler (W.B.) Yeats’ play “At the Hawk’s Well”, Hawk’s Rock Distillery aims to become a global hub for Irish Whiskey, while offering a gateway to explore the rich traditions of Sligo and the surrounding region.
“The renaming of Hawk’s Rock Distillery marks a new, yet familiar, frontier for us,” says Sazerac President and CEO Jake Wenz. “Sazerac is known for its balanced approach to honouring tradition while embracing change in constant pursuit of crafting the world’s best spirits at our distilleries in America, India, Canada and France. Our mission holds for Ireland, and we are excited to reveal how we are blending time-honoured traditions with bold innovation to advance the art of Irish whiskey-making.”