Copeland’s Coastal Spirit adds Life to Historic Down Port
The Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee, Co. Down, secured major international recognition at the recent World Whiskies Awards for its highly innovative “Double Distilled Chocolate Malt” spirit, which was crowned the Category Winner for “Best Irish New Make & Young Spirit”.
The award is one of a series won by the small distillery in a revamped community cinema by entrepreneur Gareth Irvine. In addition to a modern distillery, Gareth reimagined the community as a coffee shop and visitor centre, an initiative designed to help enhance the famous town’s tourism appeal.
The small port was once used in emigration of thousands of local people to a different life in the New World in the 18th century. The town’s annual Ulster Scots Festival remembers the historic link.
Copeland Gin was formed by Gareth, originally in Saintfield, in 2015 as a small batch distillery for gins infused with locally sourced fruits and rhubarb. It proved successful and won a series of awards for innovation that encouraged the entrepreneur to look for bigger premises which would also enable him to realise his ambition to produce a local Irish whiskey.
The initial gin business was supported by a successful crowdfunding campaign based on the originality of the fruit infused gins.
The enterprise, renowned for its unique Coastal Spirit, switched to Donaghadee in 2019 and focused on whiskey production, launching its first whiskey in May 2021 which was branded ‘Merchant’s Quay’ after a local landmark at the small harbour. The Merchants’ Quay 5-Year-Old: was subsequently Awarded a Silver Medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Vodka and rum releases followed as the company expanded steadily.
By 2025 saw four limited-edition releases including its first chocolate malt and Pot Still whiskeys, with many of the releases selling out within a matter of hours such was the demand from whiskey enthusiasts.
This highly scarce release (only 860 bottles) is aged in ex-Pinot Noir and ex-Syrah barriques that previously held Copeland Overproof Rum.
The first whiskey release of 2026, Copeland 26.1, a 5-year-old double-distilled single malt, was crowned Best Single Irish Whiskey in the Irish Whiskey Awards. The distillery’s focus on innovation is carried forward in the maturationI in a combination of ex-Pinot Noir and ex-Syrah (Shiraz) barriques that previously held Copeland Overproof Rum. It’s 100% mashed, fermented, distilled and matured on the Ards Peninsula.
The company says it is shaped by the coastal influence of Donaghadee where the distillery is based, the single malt reflects both place and innovation.
The launch of this important whiskey comes at a significant time for the industry. Despite a slowdown in distillery production across the island of Ireland, The Copeland Distillery has continued to distil five days per week, expanding its portfolio and releasing limited-edition bottlings “designed to provide its local and global following with new whiskey experiences”.
With only 860 bottles produced and bottled at cask strength, 26.1 stands as one of the distillery’s most premium small-batch expressions to date.
Gareth continues: “26.1 is the kind of whiskey that reminds us why we do what we do. It shows the full depth of our craft. When we moved into an abandoned cinema back in 2019 and invested in it as our permanent home, whiskey was always at the heart of the plan.
“Every element – from the design of our copper stills and our double-distilled philosophy to maximise the flavour of our spirit, to cask selection and our coastal maturation – reflects the hands-on approach that has shaped our success to date.
“We’re still a young distillery, but we’ve always believed that if we stayed true to craftmanship, and to our heritage in Donaghadee, we could provide the market with a truly special whiskey experience.
“In just a few years we’ve gone from filling our first cask in late 2019 to creating a bespoke cask warehouse just a few miles from the distillery which is currently maturing around 1.000 casks – equivalent to over 300,000 bottles – and each release has pushed us to innovate.
“The industry is changing, and it’s not without its challenges, but our ambition hasn’t shifted. We remain committed to building a legacy Irish whiskey brand, available to both our domestic customers and our international export markets.”
Mark Prentice, Commercial Director at The Copeland Distillery, adds, “The demand we’re seeing for our small-batch releases shows that consumers are looking for more than just another Irish whiskey; they want authenticity, clarity of provenance and a flavour profile that feels genuinely considered. That’s where 26.1 sits. The rarity and scarcity of each of our releases is something which has struck a chord, both with retail consumers, bars, hotels and restaurants and of course it’s great to achieve such recognition at the 2025 Irish Whiskey awards,” he adds.
Copeland Distillery has clearly entered an exciting stage in its impressive development with the new and award-winning single malt whiskey.
