Sazerac Rebrands Sligo, Ireland Distillery As “Hawk’s Rock”
Sazerac has announced the renaming of the Irish Whiskey distillery it acquired in 2022 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. Sazerac also owns the Irish Whiskey brands Paddy and Michael Collins, but both brands are currently sourced from other Irish distilleries.
“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 honoring 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 true for Ireland, and we are excited to reveal how we are blending time-honored traditions with bold innovation to advance the art of Irish whiskey-making.”
Leading the Hawk’s Rock distillation team as Master Blender is Helen Mulholland, the first female Master Blender in Irish Whiskey history, Chair of the Irish Whiskey Association and a Whisky Hall of Fame inductee. She and her carefully-selected team have been entrusted with leading the creation and blending of Hawk’s Rock’s innovative new-to-world Irish whiskey brands, the first of which will debut in June 2025.
Sazerac Company acquired Lough Gill Distillery in 2022, drawn by its historical significance and the cultural richness of Ireland. Since then, the team has upgraded and tripled its warehouse capacity, expanded production and is modernizing the distillery, ensuring continued growth while maintaining its commitment to quality.
“This rebrand is just the beginning for Hawk’s Rock Distillery,” says Wenz. “Throughout the changes at Hawk’s Rock, our vision remains the same – creating a track record for the aging and blending of award-winning whiskeys – and this name change brings us one step closer to bringing that vision to life.”
While Hawk’s Rock Distillery is closed to the public during renovations, Sazerac has received planning permission to develop a future visitor experience in Sligo.
