Slane Irish Whiskey closes historic distillery as demand drops
Declining sales have prompted spirits distillers to close operations, as they address economic conditions during an industry slowdown.
In some cases, closures are temporary, but in others, they are permanent.
The spirits industry faced a decline in supplier sales by 2.2% in 2025 to $36.4 billion, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
A lack of sufficient sales forced an iconic Irish whiskey distiller Slane Irish Whiskey to close down production to allow the company to sell off inventory that is currently overstocked for its sales needs.
Slane Irish Whiskey closes distillery
Iconic whiskey maker Brown-Forman has paused production of its Slane Irish Whiskey distillery in Ireland for "the next number of years," the distiller's longtime employee Alan Buckley said in a LinkedIn post.
"After 14 incredible years, my journey with Slane Distillery and Brown-Forman is drawing to a close today," Buckley said in the LinkedIn post in late May. "Following Brown-Forman's recent decision to pause production at Slane Distillery for the next number of years, my role is unfortunately being made redundant."
The closing of Slane's distillery will allow the company to adjust whiskey production to align with market conditions, the company said in a statement to Robb Report.
"Demand planning and production forecasting are critical parts of our business; standard practice requires adjusting production to align with market conditions," the company said in a statement.
Slane will continue selling its whiskey
"We have a robust supply of maturing whiskey, ensuring there will be no interruption in the availability of Slane for our customers worldwide," the company said.
"Additionally, the Slane visitor center will remain open, and tours are still available for trade and VIP guests," the statement said.
The Louisville, Ky., spirits company purchased Slane Irish Whiskey in June 2015 and broke ground in September 2015 on the development of a new $50 million Slane distillery on the grounds of Slane Castle, which is located on the 1,500-acre estate in Slane, Ireland, 30 miles north of Dublin.
Slane Castle is the home of the brand's founder Henry Conyngham, the eighth Marquess Conynham, and his son, Alex Conyngham, the Earl of Mount Charles, whose family has been part of the Slane community for years, according to a statement.
Facilities located at historic castle complex
The distillery and visitors center, which opened in 2017, is located in the historic stables complex adjacent to Slane Castle, which was restored and converted for both the production operations, with potential output of 600,000 cases, and visitors' experience.
Brown-Forman makes classic spirits like Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Herradura Tequila, Diplomatico Rum, and Ford's Gin.
U.S.-based vodka distillery Deep Eddy Vodka, however, is closing its distillery tasting room and visitors' center in Dripping Springs, Texas, for a different reason.
Deep Eddy Vodka shuts down tasting room
Deep Eddy said it is shutting down its tasting room and visitors' center in a "consumer-facing shift, as part of an active effort to bring our experiences closer to Austin, where the brand was founded and where we see the greatest opportunity," according to a company spokesperson.
Distilling company Deep Eddy Vodka will close its facilities in Dripping Springs, Texas, on June 13 and transition the facilities in a sublease agreement to another Texas distillery not affiliated with Deep Eddy, Goodnight Loving Vodka, The Spirits Business reported.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 9:25 AM.