Blackwater Distillery
Award-winning craft distillery founded in 2014 in a beautifully restored 1950s hardware store in Ballyduff Upper village, West Waterford, on the banks of the Blackwater River. Blackwater positions itself as "Ireland's most innovative craft distillery" — a claim backed by a string of international awards and a deliberately wide spirits portfolio spanning gin, vodka, whiskey, and poitín. The distillery's location in rural West Waterford, close to the Blackwater River that gives it its name, provides both water source and identity. The No.5 Gin established the distillery's reputation, while Irish whiskey expressions, now reaching meaningful maturity from 2014 distillation, are increasingly taking centre stage.
Tours
Available
On-site Shop
Open
Online Shop
Available
History
Blackwater Distillery was established in 2014 in Ballyduff Upper, a small village in West Waterford. The founders chose a disused 1950s hardware store in the village centre and converted it into a modern micro-distillery that retains the character of its industrial past. The distillery built its reputation initially on gin: the Blackwater No.5 won Gin Masters Gold in 2017 and IWSC Gold in the same year, establishing credibility fast. Further awards followed — Gold at the Irish Food Awards in 2019 and Gold at the World Spirits Awards in 2020.
Irish whiskey distillation began in 2014, meaning the first expressions distilled on-site are now reaching seven to ten years of age and beginning to appear as mature releases. The portfolio has expanded considerably across gin, vodka, whiskey, and poitín, with Blackwater positioning itself as a laboratory for Irish craft spirits innovation.
Production
Blackwater operates from its converted hardware-store premises on the banks of the Blackwater River in Ballyduff Upper, West Waterford. The distillery uses copper pot stills for whiskey and gin production, with column distillation also available for vodka and grain spirits. Irish whiskey is produced in pot still style from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, in keeping with Irish traditions. The poitín is produced using traditional Irish methods. No specific still size or total capacity figures have been published. The riverside location provides clean soft water from the Blackwater catchment.
Tasting Character
Blackwater No.5 Gin is the signature spirit: a classic pot still gin built around five core botanicals with a clean, juniper-forward character suited to gin-and-tonic service. The Wexford Strawberry Gin takes a more flavoured approach, adding local strawberry character. The Vanilla Vodka is a creamy, dessert-inflected spirit. Blackwater Poitín follows traditional Irish methods for an earthy, unaged grain character. The Irish whiskey expressions, now maturing from 2014 distillation, display the clean pot still character associated with West Waterford grain and copper pot production.
What They Produce
Notable Bottlings
- Blackwater No.5 Gin£44.95 — Flagship expression; Gin Masters Gold 2017, IWSC Gold 2017; classic pot still gin
- Wexford Strawberry Gin£49.50 — Flavoured variant using local County Wexford strawberries
- Blackwater Vanilla Vodka — Pot still vodka with vanilla character
- Blackwater Poitín — Traditional Irish unaged spirit
- Blackwater Irish Whiskey£65.50 — Pot still style; maturing expressions from 2014 distillation onwards
Visiting
Two tour formats are available: The Blackwater Distillery Experience (€20, 45 minutes, 2–20 people) and the Guided Distillery Tour & Cocktail Masterclass (€40, 90 minutes, 8–20 people). Online shop at blackwaterdistillery.ie (free Irish shipping on orders over €100). Physical shop on site. Contact: +353 (0)58 60732 / hello@blackwaterdistillery.ie. Address: Ballyduff Upper, West Waterford.
Official Website
