Client & Project Overview
Sazerac Company, Inc. is one of the largest privately held spirits companies in the United States, with a portfolio of more than 450 brands distributed across 112 countries. Following its acquisition of the Paddy Irish Whiskey brand in 2016 and the purchase of the Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo in 2022, Sazerac set out to establish a long-term production base for Irish whiskey. The distillery was subsequently renamed Hawks Rock Distillery, marking the beginning of a significant investment in Irish whiskey production.
PEMCAS was engaged to support Sazerac of Ireland ULC in planning and coordinating the future development of the Hawks Rock site. A core element of this commission was the preparation of a 10-year masterplan that addressed both current operational needs and anticipated future demand. The brief extended beyond production capacity to include warehousing, visitor amenities, utilities, access, and integration with the surrounding environment.
The scale and sensitivity of the project required close coordination with a wide range of stakeholders. These included the local authority, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health Service Executive (HSE), local historical bodies, and neighbouring landowners. The masterplan had to balance commercial ambition with environmental protection, heritage considerations, and community engagement.
The proposals comprised new production facilities, significant expansion of maturation warehousing, office accommodation, upgraded utilities, revised site access and car parking, and the sympathetic redevelopment of Hazelwood House as a visitor centre. A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was required, incorporating specialist studies to address environmental, traffic, heritage, and infrastructure impacts. A public consultation process formed a key part of the planning strategy, ensuring transparency and open communication before submission of the planning application, which was ultimately granted permission by the local authority.
Key Insights
Large-scale developments of this nature depend as much on coordination and communication as on technical design. Establishing a clear, long-term masterplan provided a structured framework for engaging regulators, statutory bodies, and the local community, while allowing Sazerac to plan investment with confidence.
PEMCAS’s role focused on integrating engineering, planning, and stakeholder management from an early stage, ensuring that regulatory, environmental, and heritage requirements were considered alongside operational needs. The successful approval of the development highlights the value of a clear vision, robust assessment, and open engagement in delivering complex projects that must satisfy both commercial and public interests.
