Sazerac introduces Hawk’s Rock Distillery

Sazerac, the global spirits giant behind iconic distilleries likes Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, and Paul John in Goa, has announced the renaming of its Irish whiskey facility to Hawk's Rock Distillery. Formerly known as Lough Gill Distillery, the site is located in County Sligo, Ireland, and includes the historic Hazelwood House. The new name pays tribute to a dramatic outcrop in the nearby Ox Mountains that inspired W.B. Yeats’ play At the Hawk’s Well, symbolising Sazerac’s commitment to heritage and innovation in Irish whiskey.

The distillery will continue operations under the stewardship of Master Blender Helen Mulholland, a Whisky Hall of Fame inductee and the first female Master Blender in Irish whiskey history. She will lead the creation of Hawk’s Rock’s new whiskey expressions, the first of which is expected to debut in June 2025. Since acquiring the distillery in 2022, Sazerac has expanded production, modernised infrastructure, and tripled warehouse capacity.

Although currently closed for renovations, Hawk’s Rock Distillery is slated to open a visitor experience in the future. Sazerac President and CEO Jake Wenz emphasised the brand’s focus on blending tradition with innovation, stating that the renaming marks “a new, yet familiar frontier” for Irish whiskey.