The Shed Distillery Drumshanbo

The Shed Distillery, based in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, is a bold and vibrant force in the Irish spirits world, founded in 2014 by PJ and Denise Rigney with roots in both traditional craft distilling and a wanderer’s taste for the exotic. They kicked off their journey with gin—most famously Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which uses a mix of Irish + oriental botanicals (including gunpowder tea), and later expanded into vodka and the more recent but equally serious Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Their whiskey uses a mash of malted and unmalted barley plus Irish Barra oats, triple-distilled then matured in a blend of Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, yielding rich texture, pot spice, fruit, and depth. Sustainability is central: many of their ingredients are locally sourced or foraged (nettles, meadowsweet, etc.), electricity is 100% green, and even their spent grain is donated to local farmers. They are also growing—the distillery recently invested heavily to double its whiskey-production capacity, showing they are serious about maintaining quality while scaling up. Each of their spirits feels very much hand-made, personality-driven, and rooted in place, offering both novelty and tradition in every bottle.