Brown-Forman Is Halting Production at Its Irish Whiskey Distillery in the Latest Sign of a Slowing Whiskey Market

(Photo: Slane)

American spirits giant Brown-Forman is halting production of Slane Irish Whiskey, a nearly two-decade-old distiller based out of the Slane Castle estate in County Meath, Ireland.

On Friday, Brown-Forman confirmed the closure in a statement to Robb Report. The distillery, founded by father-and-son duo Henry and Alex Conyngham in 2009, was purchased by the Jack Daniel’s owner in 2015. The acquisition was followed by a $50 million investment in the site, which will remain open to visitors for the foreseeable future, according to the company. Though the brand will continue to stock shelves, production of new distillate has been put on hold for the time being.

“Demand planning and production forecasting are critical parts of our business; standard practice requires adjusting production to align with market conditions,” a spokesperson told Robb Report.

“We have a robust supply of maturing whiskey, ensuring there will be no interruption in the availability of Slane for our customers worldwide. Additionally, the Slane visitor center will remain open, and tours are still available for trade and VIP guests.”

Though Brown-Forman hasn’t provided any details about the length of the closure or potential layoffs, former employees are already speaking up. In a recent LinkedIn post, distillery production engineer Alan Buckley confirmed that he was parting ways with the brand after a 14-year tenure. He said that his role has been made “redundant,” adding that production has been tentatively paused for the “next number of years.”

“Reflecting on the last decade and a half, it has been the professional honour of a lifetime to lead the construction and commissioning of Slane Distillery,” Buckley wrote. “Witnessing the 18th-century courtyards of Slane Castle transform into a world-class production facility and brand homeplace has been a unique source of pride.”

The distiller is best known for its flagship Triple Casked whiskey, which combines reserves aged in virgin oak, ex-sherry and seasoned barrels from Brown-Forman.

It’s the latest in a string of cutbacks from the prolific American spirits firm. At the beginning of 2025, Brown-Forman announced that it was laying off about 12% of its global workforce, equivalent to around 650 employees, according to third-party estimates. Less than two weeks later, the company announced a temporary pause at the Glenglassaugh Distillery in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, attributing the closure to a shared production model that resulted in “occasional silent seasons.”

It has been widely reported that Brown-Forman might merge with either Pernod Ricard or Sazerac over the past few months, though both deals appear to have fallen through for the time being.