AIB Start-up Academy runner-up: Peter Mulryan, co-founder of Blackwater Distillery

Making the jump from day-time television producer to distillery co-owner was a more natural progression for Peter Mulryan than you might expect.

When Mulryan co-founded Blackwater Distillery with three other media professionals, he already had a good grounding in the subject through his other skill as a published author.

It was during his time working in Scotland that his passion began. “Basically I lived in Scotland for several years, it’s a good place to live when it comes to whiskey. I’ve written six books on whiskey and spirits. Going back 12 years I got a good grounding in it. I kind of knew my way around the business and I could see a gap in the market.”

Blackwater Distillery is a micro distillery on the banks of the river Blackwater in Cappoquin, west Waterford. They produce two gins, hedgerow and juniper cask, and damson vodka. In just a short year of trading they’ve won several awards including sliver outstanding at the International Wine and Spirits competition in London for the highest-rated Irish gin. “Our products are made on a very small scale, they are small batch. They are distilled in a copper pot still, which means you get a lot of copper contact when you’re distilling and copper gives you a very soft, smooth mouth feel to the drink.

“We don’t use any artificial colours, any artificial flavours. With the gin, all we do to it is add water to bring it to bottling strength. It’s a very clean, crisp taste,” Mulryan says.

The business started in 2014 and has been trading since March 2015.

“The first money we got was from the LEO [Local Enterprise Office] – that was great because it then allowed us to go to other investors which opened all kinds of doors. They also put us in contact with someone who helped us draw up a business plan, profit and loss accounts and projected finances.

“I don’t have a financial background so she did all of that and then put us in touch with trademark lawyers. The network that they pulled in behind us was fantastic.”

One obstacle that is troubling Mulryan is the strict Irish licensing laws.

“We can’t sell retail. If you come to my distillery, I can’t sell you a bottle, I can’t sell you a glass and, if you take a tour, I can’t give you a free drink at the end of the tour. I can sell you wholesale quantities but not retail quantities so we have to sell to agents and distributors. That’s absolutely fine but it narrows down how we sell and where we sell.”

Blackwater is sold in both Dublin and Cork Airports, the O’Brien’s off-licence chain, independent off-licences and throughout 20 Supervalu Stores across Waterford and Cork as part of their food academy. With the launch of the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme, Mulryan hopes to rise €300,000 to complete the next stage of his business, producing whiskey. This requires special stills imported from Italy and purchasing German brewing equipment.

“There’s an awful lot happening. It’s a very exciting time.”

FIONA ALSTON