Wild Atlantic Distillery

The founding of Wild Atlantic in late 2019 was an act of deliberate cultural revival. Brian and Jim identified that the Derry and Strabane District had been without legal whiskey production for a century — a gap they were determined to fill. The area's distilling heritage runs deep: a significant whiskey collection dating to the 1840s–1860s was discovered in the region, highlighting the long local tradition the founders sought to reconnect with.

The distillery's name and identity draw on the wild Atlantic geography of the west of Ireland, even though Castlederg sits in inland Tyrone — a deliberate nod to the elemental, ocean-facing Ireland that inspired the founders' vision of what Irish whiskey and gin should taste like. The inaugural IslandMen Irish Whiskey release — the Legacy expression — launched with the founding motto: "To New Beginnings! Sláinte!"

The 188 Cask Ownership Club was established with casks named after Wild Atlantic Way coastal points — connecting individual cask owners to specific, named places along Ireland's famous western coastline. This programme sold quickly, with 188 casks representing the 188 named points on the Wild Atlantic Way route. The distillery has established a strong reputation for its gin: the Wild Strawberry and Elderflower Gin won Double Gold at the World Gin Awards in London in both 2024 and 2025, cementing its status as one of Ireland's finest flavoured gins.

Wild Atlantic Distillery operates in Aghyaran, Castlederg, County Tyrone, using traditional copper pot still production methods for its whiskey and botanical distillation for its gin. The distillery incorporates Atlantic seaweed — including kelp and dillisk — into the gin botanical programme, providing a coastal, oceanic character that is genuinely distinctive. Whiskey maturation uses ex-bourbon casks. The 188 Cask Ownership Club provides individually named casks maturing at the distillery for private investors.

IslandMen Irish Whiskey is described as smooth and complex, combining traditional pot still character with modern distilling precision. The Legacy expression is the core offering — approachable, clean, and characterful. Wild Strawberry and Elderflower Gin — the distillery's most decorated product — delivers a vibrant, fragrant combination of fresh wild strawberry and delicate elderflower over a gin backbone that carries faint seaweed and maritime notes from the Atlantic botanicals. The Double Gold World Gin Award wins confirm the technical quality and flavour precision of the expression.

Distillery tours are available from £20 per person. The IslandMen Whiskey Tour (£30) includes the experience of creating your own gin. A Cocktail Class (£95) and a Gin School round out the experience offering. There is no separate physical retail shop; online shop at wildatlanticdistillery.ie. Full booking information at the official website.