Kilbeggan Distillery (formerly Brusna Distillery and Locke's Distillery) is situated on the River Brosna in Kilbeggan, County Westmeath, Ireland.
A small pot still distillery, The licence to distil dates to 1757; a copy of which can be seen in the distillery.
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The distillery was founded in 1757[1] and, by 1798, was in the hands of Matthias McManus, whose son was executed in Mullingar due to the part he played in the United Irishmen rebellion of that year.[2]
John Locke took over the distillery in 1843,[2] from when it remained in the hands of the Locke family for many years, being inherited by Mary Evelyn and Florence Emily, granddaughters of John Locke,[3] in 1943. In 1947 the distillery was purchased by The Transworld Trust.[4] This, together with the economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s, took its toll on Locke's and on 19 March 1954 production ceased, with the distillery closing completely in 1957.
Today the distillery is known as Lockes Distillery Museum, and includes a restaurant and a 19th century waterwheel that is in working condition. The distillery can also be powered by a steam engine, which is in working condition but rarely used. It was installed to allow the distillery to continue operating in times of low water on the river.
Whiskey production recommenced in 2007, the year in which the distillery celebrated its 250th anniversary. Although the whiskey now in production at Kilbeggan will not be ready for sale until 2014, the three brands associated with the distillery—Kilbeggan, Locke's Blend and Locke's Malt—have, for many years, been made at the Cooley Distillery in County Louth from where they are transported to Kilbeggan to be stored in a granite warehouse over 200 years old.[1][5] In late 2009, the distillery released small '3-pack' samples of its still-developing "new make spirit" at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years of age. (In Ireland, the spirit must be aged a minimum of three years before it can legally be called "whiskey.")
The distillery's visitor centre was amongst the nominations in Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky visitor attraction category in 2008.[6]