Old Bushmills Distillery — County Antrim Single Malt Whisky

Old Bushmills Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery located in the village of Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1784 and is currently owned by Proximo Spirits. It holds the distinction of being licensed as the oldest working distillery in Ireland, with roots tracing back to a 1608 royal licence to distil in the area.

History

Bushmills draws its water from Saint Columb's Rill, a tributary of the River Bush, a source it has relied on since production began. The modern distillery company was formally established in 1784 by Hugh Anderson, though Bushmills markets 1608 as its founding date, referencing the year King James I granted Sir Thomas Phillips a licence to distil in the district — the earliest such licence recorded in Ireland. The current distillery buildings largely date from a rebuild following a fire in 1885, and Bushmills has operated in approximately continuous production since, surviving American Prohibition by continuing to export whiskey for medicinal purposes.

Ownership has changed hands several times over its history: the distillery was bought by James McColgan and Patrick Corrigan in 1860 and incorporated as a limited company in 1880. After the Second World War it was acquired by Isaac Wolfson, before passing to Irish Distillers in 1972. Irish Distillers itself was bought by Pernod Ricard in 1988, and Diageo acquired Bushmills in 2005 for around £200 million. In November 2014, Diageo traded Bushmills to Proximo Spirits in an asset swap for a 50% stake in Don Julio tequila, and Proximo has owned the distillery since. Bushmills remains a popular visitor attraction, drawing around 120,000 tourists a year, and in 2023 the operation expanded with the opening of a second production site, the Causeway Distillery, nearby.

Quick Facts

• Region: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
• Founded: 1784 (licence to distil in the area dates to 1608)
• Owner: Proximo Spirits
• Status: Active
• Stills: Copper pot stills, using traditional Irish triple distillation

Core Range

Bushmills' core range centres on Bushmills Original (40% ABV), a triple-distilled blend, alongside Black Bush, a malt-forward blend matured predominantly in oloroso sherry casks, and Red Bush, matured in ex-bourbon casks. Its single malt line-up includes the 10 Year Old, 12 Year Old, 16 Year Old (finished in port, sherry and bourbon casks) and 21 Year Old (finished in Madeira casks), with limited releases such as Bushmills 1608 and older cask-strength expressions issued periodically. Standard bottlings are typically 40% ABV, with cask-strength and special releases bottled higher.