Who makes it?
From Humble Beginnings to a Distilling Legacy
The Copeland Distillery's journey began with a leap of faith in the summer of 2016. What started with a successful crowdfunding campaign, raising £30,000 from over 370 Founders, has grown into a beacon of innovation in the world of craft spirits. These early supporters, who took a chance on the brand's vision, were instrumental in bringing Copeland's first products to life.
After nine months of dedicated construction, the Copeland Distillery opened its doors in August 2019, breathing new life into a historic site in Donaghadee, County Down. The 6,500 square-foot space, once a cinema and bottling company, now stands as a testament to the distillery's commitment to the area's rich maritime and distilling heritage. The 125-year lease on the property underscores their ambition to share this history with both local and international visitors.
The Heart of the Distillery
Within the distillery walls, you'll find three copper stills—Betty, Hessie, and Pam—named in honor of the founder's grandmothers and mother. These stills are the heart of the operation, producing an award-winning range of spirits, including Traditional Irish and Navy Strength gins, along with a soon-to-be-released line of malt and pot-still whiskeys that are currently maturing.
The Copeland Distillery takes pride in its meticulous approach, carefully selecting wild and fair-trade botanicals and locally sourced fruits from the farms of County Down. Their mission is simple yet profound: to create exceptional, great-tasting spirits that surprise and delight, all while reflecting the history and traditions of the local area.
Beyond the bottles, the distillery offers a unique experience. Visitors can embark on a distillery tour to learn more about the production process, and even relax in the onsite coffee shop.
The story of Copeland Distillery is one of community, commitment, and a passion for crafting spirits that are both innovative and deeply rooted in tradition.
How is it made?
Our botanicals are carefully weighed out and peeled fresh for every distillation. While the Ulster Rugby Irish Gin has a classic juniper taste, we use unwaxed oranges as our main citrus botanical which results in a gin truly to be savoured.
Our expert distillers soak the 12 botanicals we select for our gin in alcohol for 16-24 hours. We then transfer to the pot of our 300L copper column still and add additional orange slices and botanicals. Then we begin the distillation process.
Once we’ve distilled the pure gin, we add water to bring it down to 42% ABV and rest it before hand bottling and labelling.
Created on the same copper stills in Copeland that produce our award-winning Irish gin, the winner of an OUTSTANDING GOLD award with 99 points out of 100, and BEST CONTEMPORARY GIN TROPHY WINNER at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2022. Copeland is the first and only Irish distillery ever be awarded an IWSC trophy.
What does it taste like?
With notes of fresh pine and florals, leading to sweet berry and botanical flavours, this gin is wonderfully balanced and is the perfect gin & tonic to toast the future success of Ulster Rugby. Simply pair with your favourite tonic and garnish with a slice of orange
