UK: Port Ellen Distillery reopens after being closed for 40 years

Scotch whisky producer Port Ellen is reopening its doors after closing 40 years ago, Drinks Retailing reported on March 19.

The so-called ‘ghost distillery’, situated on the island of Islay, first opened in 1825 but was shut down in 1983. However, Port Ellen Distillery officially opened again on March 19 after an £185 million investment from Diageo.

The new distillery features replicas of the original Port Ellen copper stills, alongside new stills designed for product experimentation. It also has an on-site laboratory to analyse and document experimental whiskies.

With Diageo aiming for the global business to be carbon neutral in its direct production by 2030, Port Ellen will be carbon neutral from its opening.

Ewan Andrew, Diageo’s president of global supply chain & procurement and chief sustainability officer, described the reopening as a “landmark moment for Diageo and for Scotch whisky”.

He continued: “Port Ellen has a proud heritage of leading innovation and experimentation and we have been true to that legacy in the reborn Port Ellen, creating a distillery grounded in tradition but prepared to be a trailblazing new light in the firmament of the Scotch whisky universe.”

As part of its investment in the Scotch whisky industry, Diageo also reopened fellow ‘ghost distillery’ Brora in 2021.

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