WATERFORD DISTILLERY WATERFORD DISTILLERY
I thought that this was a Brewery until I looked at my photographs on my return to Dublin. When I checked online I came across the following headline in the Irish Times [9 July 2016] “Diageo sold former Guinness brewery in Waterford for just €7.2m”. I checked some older photographs and was surprised to see that the signage clearly indicated that it is a distillery rather than a Brewery.
Diageo, originally acquired the Grattan Quay site in 2004 and then spent about €40 million upgrading the facility before closing down production at the site in 2013 and selling the premises for a fraction of its cost to Renegade Spirits, a year later.
Originally Cherry’s Brewery, the Diageo Guinness plant didn't actually brew Guinness but it produced GFE (Guinness Flavour Essence), a special ingredient known as the essence of Guinness, which gives Guinness its unique flavour and aroma wherever it is brewed or consumed. In 2013 the Waterford plant had a staff of twenty one people.
Back in the late eighteen century there were two breweries operating under the name Cherry but apparently neither was at this site on Grattan Quay. The brewery at this site was the Waterford Brewery owned by Davis Strong & Co which was founded in 1792 and Smithwicks was brewed at this location until 2003. I am not 100% certain but I suspect that Phoenix beer was produced at this site. According to some accounts the brewery was operated by Cherry Breweries Limited so I assume that they must have purchased the brewery before it was eventually taken over by Guinness.
Diageo, originally acquired the Grattan Quay site in 2004 and then spent about €40 million upgrading the facility before closing down production at the site in 2013 and selling the premises for a fraction of its cost to Renegade Spirits, a year later.
Originally Cherry’s Brewery, the Diageo Guinness plant didn't actually brew Guinness but it produced GFE (Guinness Flavour Essence), a special ingredient known as the essence of Guinness, which gives Guinness its unique flavour and aroma wherever it is brewed or consumed. In 2013 the Waterford plant had a staff of twenty one people.
Back in the late eighteen century there were two breweries operating under the name Cherry but apparently neither was at this site on Grattan Quay. The brewery at this site was the Waterford Brewery owned by Davis Strong & Co which was founded in 1792 and Smithwicks was brewed at this location until 2003. I am not 100% certain but I suspect that Phoenix beer was produced at this site. According to some accounts the brewery was operated by Cherry Breweries Limited so I assume that they must have purchased the brewery before it was eventually taken over by Guinness.
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