Ballykeefe Distillery

Morgan and Anne Ging founded Ballykeefe in 2017 on their farm near Kilkenny, driven by a desire to reconnect Irish whiskey-making with its agricultural roots. The operation revived a tradition last seen in Ireland over two centuries earlier, when on-farm distilling was common before industrialisation and the growth of large commercial distilleries. The first batch of Triple Distilled, Single Estate, Pot Still Whiskey was distilled from the original 2017 production and bottled in due course following the mandatory three-year maturation period. The distillery's gin range attracted early critical acclaim: Lady Desart won Gold at the USA Spirits Ratings 2019; the Extra Dry Irish Gin took Gold at the World Gin Awards 2019; and the Sloe Gin won Gold at the World Liqueur Awards 2019. The Ballykeefe Vodka was named Best Irish Vodka at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2018.

All barley for the whiskey is grown on the Ging family farm in County Kilkenny, making the operation fully traceable from soil to spirit. Both double-distilled and triple-distilled expressions are produced. The whiskey range includes Single Pot Still (made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley) and Single Malt expressions. Specific still sizes, counts, and annual capacity have not been publicly disclosed. The gin is produced with botanical-forward recipes drawing on both traditional Irish and local Kilkenny ingredients. Poitín is produced at 60% ABV in the traditional Irish manner.

The Single Pot Still Irish whiskey carries the characteristic richness of the style — fruity, spicy, and creamy from the unmalted barley component. The Single Malt shows barley-forward sweetness with orchard fruit and vanilla from bourbon cask maturation. The gin range is expressive and award-winning: Lady Desart leads with fragrant botanicals; the Extra Dry Irish Gin is clean and juniper-led. The Poitín at 60% ABV delivers the raw, agricultural spirit character that was once ubiquitous across rural Ireland.

Tours are available and include the full brewing and distilling process, concluding with guided tastings led by the master distiller. The visitor centre is open on the farm near Kilkenny. An online shop is available at ballykeefedistillery.ie. A physical shop is on site.