The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney

In a country whose whiskey heritage runs mostly through Cork, Dublin, and the northern counties, The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney did something unusual: it planted a working distillery in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, in the Western province of Connacht, becoming the first distillery to open there in over a century. What began under a literal shed roof is now a fully operational site producing triple-distilled Irish whiskey alongside the gin and vodka that first built the brand's reputation.

History & Heritage

PJ Rigney and Denise Rigney founded The Shed Distillery in 2014, and the first whiskey was laid down for maturation on December 21 of that year. The distillery's name is a nod to its origins as a small operation before it grew into a purpose-built production facility on Carrick Road in Drumshanbo. Its arrival mattered beyond the Rigney family's own ambitions: Connacht, the westernmost of Ireland's four historic provinces, had gone without a working distillery for more than 100 years before The Shed opened its stills. That distinction still anchors how the distillery is described in the Irish whiskey trade today. PJ Rigney and his family remain the owners of the operation, which has grown from a single-product gin launch into a full spirits house producing whiskey, gin, and vodka under one roof in rural Leitrim.

The Whiskey

The Shed Distillery runs five copper pot stills, three dedicated to Irish whiskey and two to gin, plus two copper column stills used for vodka. All seven stills were custom-built by Arnold Holstein in Germany, a detail the distillery treats as central to its identity as a legitimate production site rather than a blending operation. Drumshanbo whiskey is triple distilled, a method more associated with the traditional Irish style than the double distillation common in Scotch production.

The flagship expression, Drumshanbo Single Pot Irish Whiskey, is built from a mash bill of malted Irish barley, unmalted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats, a grain combination that sets it apart from the standard pot still recipe. It matures in a combination of single-use Kentucky Bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry casks. From there, the distillery has extended the line with cask-finished variants: Drumshanbo Tawny Port Cask Irish Whiskey is a seven-year-old single pot still whiskey matured in Tawny Port casks, and Drumshanbo Galanta Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a limited annual vintage release aged in Kentucky ex-bourbon barrels and Marsala wine casks. Across the range, the whiskeys are non-chill filtered and bottled with no added coloring. Brian Taft serves as Head Distiller overseeing production.

Why It Matters

The Shed Distillery has built a track record of recognition that spans its full portfolio rather than a single hero product. Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, slow-distilled with oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea, won International Spirit Brand of the Year at the 2022 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards. On the whiskey side, Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey took Best Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey at the 2023 Irish Whiskey Awards and was named one of the world's top 20 whiskeys by Whisky Advocate. That combination, a gin brand strong enough to headline international awards and a whiskey program earning serious critical attention within a decade of first laying down spirit, is unusual for a distillery operating outside Ireland's traditional whiskey counties. It signals a production philosophy built on distinctive mash bills and cask programs rather than scale, which is precisely the kind of profile worth stocking in a Reserve Whiskey Library built around depth over volume.

Visiting the Distillery

The Shed Distillery offers a guided Curious Journey Distillery Tour, which includes an expert tasting of Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey and a Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and tonic at the on-site Honey Badger Bar. Visitors should plan for at least 1.5 hours to complete the full experience. The site includes a visitor center and gift shop, and the Honey Badger Bar keeps its own hours, open daily until 6pm with later hours on Fridays and Saturdays.