Pearse Lyons Distillery

Dr. Pearse Lyons took an extraordinary path back to his Irish roots, transforming a 12th-century church in Dublin's Liberties into Ireland's most architecturally striking distillery. The biochemist who built a fermentation empire in Kentucky returned home with a vision that would reshape both a historic neighborhood and modern Irish whiskey.

History & Heritage

Pearse Lyons Distillery opened in 2017 within the restored St. James' Church, a deconsecrated structure dating to the 12th century. Dr. Lyons and his wife Deirdre acquired the building in 2013, spending four years on meticulous restoration while laying down spirit at their Carlow facility starting in 2012. The glass steeple, dubbed the "Liberties Lantern," now marks Dublin's skyline as a beacon for the city's only independently owned distillery.

The Whiskey

The distillery operates with a grain-to-glass philosophy, growing barley and oats on Lyons family land 25 kilometers away. Two Kentucky Vendome copper pot stills, "Mighty Molly" and "Little Lizzie," sit dramatically on the former altar beneath stained glass windows. Little Lizzie's four rectification plates required adaptation of Irish whiskey law, while the proprietary yeast technology draws from Dr. Lyons' Alltech background. Notable expressions include the Pearse 5-Year-Old Single Malt, the first five-year age statement from a new Irish distillery in over 25 years, and the award-winning Pearse 7 Years Distillers Choice.

Why It Matters

This distillery bridges Irish tradition with American innovation, sourcing barrels directly from its Kentucky sister operation at Town Branch. The transatlantic connection creates unique maturation profiles in ex-bourbon, bourbon barrel ale, and sherry casks. Beyond the whiskey, Pearse Lyons represents the new generation of Irish distilling: family-owned, sustainability-focused, and architecturally ambitious enough to place copper stills where an altar once stood.