Irish monks were the first to distill Uisce Beatha — “the water of life” — during the Middle Ages. By the late 1800’s, the craft had been perfected and there were over 1,300 distilleries in Ireland, producing over 400 different whiskeys.
Today the Cooley Distillery, home of Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, is the only remaining Irish-owned, independent distillery.
Cooley Distillery
Known for producing unique styles of whiskey that clearly stand out from the crowd, Cooley is the only distillery in Ireland to double distill and to use peated malted barley. Since opening in 1987, the highly acclaimed distillery has won over 150 international awards.