Who We Are

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We Are A Micro-Distillery Based In West Waterford On The Banks Of The Blackwater River

We like to keep it real, which is why early in the morning we switch on the lights, open the post and fire up the still. In our 1950s converted hardware store in Ballyduff, we make award-winning gin and small batch Irish whisky.

Our Sustainability Commitment

At Blackwater Distillery, sustainability is at the heart of what we do. We are committed to minimising our environmental impact by making conscious choices in every step of our operations. From energy efficiency and waste reduction to responsible sourcing and local engagement, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint while producing high-quality spirits. Blackwater Distillery Environmental Policy Statement

Our Team

Peter Mulryan

Founder & CEO

Peter Mulryan

Founder & CEO

In the days before Blackwater Distillery, Peter traveled the world as a TV producer and in his spare time wrote several books about whiskey. Now he runs a distillery, his goal is to produce excellent spirits and bring transparency and honesty to the category. When he’s not working he’s either eating, sleeping or playing the mandolin.

peter@blackwaterdistillery.ie

Caroline Senior

Founder & COO

Caroline Senior

Founder & COO

Caroline Senior brings years of organisational expertise to the Blackwater team. In her time as Artistic Director at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford, she was responsible for the complete refurbishment of the theatre, and produced and toured several theatre productions with Waterford playwright, Jim Nolan. She brought these skills to the refurbishment of the distillery’s new home and visitor’s centre in 2017-18, transforming a former 1950s hardware store in the heart of Ballyduff Upper. A former member of the Arts Council and a classically trained musician, Caroline plays piano and cello, and is relishing the prospect of her greatest challenge to date – the formation of the Blackwater Distillery Band.

caroline@blackwaterdistillery.ie

John Wilcox

Head Distiller

John Wilcox

Head Distiller

John jumped across the pond in late 2018 to join the Blackwater team. With over a decade working in the craft spirits sector in the US, he brings to Blackwater a diverse portfolio of experience and ideas. He specialises in mixed grain whisky, and is particularly excited about the continued evolution of the whisky category in Ireland. John is proud to call Ireland home, and considers it an honour to be part of the movement to revive heritage Irish whisky styles.

In his free time, John battles demons with his fiddle, explores forgotten ruins, and, time permitting, slays dragons.

John’s Life Goals, 2020, Lockdown Edition

Go to the pub
Yell at mountains with Bjork
Secure world peace by making the best whisky possible

john@blackwaterdistillery.ie

Dan Grummell

Brand Manager

Dan Grummell

Brand Manager

A proud Kerry man by way of London, Dan joined Blackwater in 2018 as our Brand Manager after working for nearly a decade in FMCG marketing teams.

As Dan said, working at Blackwater Distillery is much more than a job, it’s a lifestyle of working with real friends who want to put this distillery on the global map and most importantly have some fun along the way. A massive lover of sports and most recently photography, he can also be found most weekends coaching his son’s soccer team to let off some steam!

Looking after our marketing and local sales, Dan is the man and can be contacted on dan@blackwaterdistillery.ie or +353 85 256 1967

dan@blackwaterdistillery.ie

Leslie Fitzell

Non-Executive Director

Leslie Fitzell

Non-Executive Director

Joining the Blackwater Team in 2019, Leslie is Non Executive Director and provides strategic advice to the board and management team. He brings a breadth and depth of experience across food and drink, having worked in a range of international strategy, marketing and commercial roles in companies including Unilever, Bass, United Distillers and over 20 years at Seagram/Pernod Ricard.

Leslie left Chivas Brothers, Pernod Ricard’s largest global brand company in 2018 where he was Board director with responsibilities for Strategy & Development covering the scotch and gin portfolio. Today, Leslie lives outside London and specialises in supporting and helping develop a range of startups and early stage disruptor food and drinks companies to achieve their ambitions.

leslie@blackwaterdistillery.ie

Barry Donnellan

Director

Barry Donnellan

Director

Over 25 years working in the television industry as a cameraman, Barry has been lucky to have travelled the world doing what he’s loved since the age of 16. It’s this job and the inclement Irish weather that he has to thank for his involvement in Blackwater Distillery. It all started on a wet stormy Kerry beach in 2014, when then-RTE producer Peter Mulryan told of his plans to open a distillery. Barry jumped at the chance of this new adventure and joined him as one of the co-founders and directors in the company. As a committed vodka drinker he has been dragged kicking and screaming along with the gin revolution and he’s learned to love the smell of juniper….well, most of the time!

They say that ‘it never rains but it pours’ but sometimes, just sometimes, it is worth standing in the rain and getting a little wet…you never know what might happen!

barry@blackwaterdistillery.ie