Jameson Experience, Midleton facts for kids

The Jameson Experience, Midleton is a fun museum and visitor centre. It is also known as the Old Midleton Distillery. You can find it in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland.

This large site covers about 15 acres. Since it opened as a visitor centre in 1992, around 100,000 people visit every year. In 2015, about 125,000 guests explored the old distillery.

The building where the Jameson Experience is now located has a long history. It started as a woollen mill. Then it became a military barracks. Finally, it was turned into a distillery in 1825. The distillery made Irish whiskey until 1975. That year, a brand new distillery was built right next to it. This new distillery brought together the operations of three big whiskey companies. These were John Jameson & Son, John Powers & Son, and Cork Distilleries Company. They had joined forces in 1966 to create Irish Distillers.

Today, the Old Midleton Distillery is a visitor centre. It also has a restaurant and a gift shop. Tours usually take about 75 minutes.

A Look Back: The Distillery's Story

This huge 31,618-gallon pot still was the biggest ever built. It's no longer used but you can still see it inside the old still room. A smaller pot still sits outside the visitor centre.

The land where the distillery stands was first used for a woollen mill in 1796. A man named Marcus Lynch built it with partners. They used water from the Dungourney River to power the mill. Later, during the Napoleonic Wars, the government bought the mill in 1803. They turned it into a military barracks and stables.

About 18 years later, the government sold the building. Lord Midleton bought it in 1824. Then, on December 20, 1825, Lord Midleton sold the property to three brothers. Their names were James, Daniel, and Jeremiah Murphy. They wanted to turn the building into a distillery. A new law in 1823 made making whiskey much more profitable.

The Murphy brothers spent a lot of money to set up their distillery. It became known as James Murphy and Company. They installed a large wooden water wheel to help power the distillery. This was later replaced in 1852 by an iron water wheel, which you can still see today.

They also built a giant pot still. This still could hold 31,618 gallons! It was so big that they had to build the distillery around it. This was the largest pot still ever made. Just two years before, the biggest pot still in Ireland held only 750 gallons. This shows how ambitious the Murphys were. By the 1830s, the distillery was making 400,000 gallons of spirit each year. It also employed nearly 200 people.

This iron waterwheel was put in place in 1852. It helped grind the malted barley at the distillery.

In the mid-1800s, the Irish whiskey industry faced tough times. The temperance movement encouraged people to drink less alcohol. The Great Famine in the 1840s also reduced demand for whiskey.

Cork had several distilleries at this time. So, in the 1860s, James Murphy suggested joining forces. Other distilleries agreed. In 1867, the Cork Distilleries Company (CDC) was formed. Murphy led this new company. The Midleton Distillery joined the CDC a year later.

In 1886, a British historian named Alfred Barnard visited the distillery. He noted its great location near train lines and water. He also mentioned the huge 31,618-gallon wash still. The distillery also had two 10,000-gallon spirits stills. It even had a Coffey still, which was unusual for an Irish distillery back then. The distillery could produce over 1,000,000 gallons of whiskey each year. Their whiskey was first called "The Cork Whisky Make." Later, it became known simply as "Paddy."

After Barnard's visit, the Irish whiskey industry declined. Irish whiskey lost popularity for several reasons. These included the rise of blended Scotch whisky. Also, Prohibition in the United States stopped whiskey sales there. The Anglo-Irish Trade War also made it hard to sell Irish goods in the British Empire.

When Alfred Barnard visited Ireland, there were 28 distilleries. By the 1960s, only a few were left. In 1966, three of these companies decided to combine. They were John Jameson & Son, John Powers & Son, and Cork Distilleries Company. They formed Irish Distillers. They decided to close their old distilleries. Instead, they would build a new, modern one next to the existing Midleton Distillery.

In July 1975, the Old Midleton Distillery stopped making whiskey. The very next day, the new New Midleton Distillery began operations. The Jameson Bow Street Distillery and Powers John's Lane Distillery closed a year later. The new distillery now makes many famous Irish whiskeys. These include Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Redbreast, and Green Spot.

In 1992, the Old Midleton Distillery reopened as the Jameson Experience visitor centre.

The Murphy Family and Stout

The Murphy family also had a connection to brewing. Two younger members of the Murphy family left the distillery business. They started their own brewing company in the 1850s. This company became Murphy's Brewery, famous for Murphy's Irish Stout.

What to See at the Visitor Centre

The Jameson Experience, Midleton tour teaches you about the history of Jameson Whiskey. It also tells the story of the distillery that operated there before.

The tour includes a film and a walking tour. You will be guided through the old distillery buildings. You can see the old kilns, mills, and maltings. You'll also see the water wheel, the still house, the distiller's cottage, and the cooperage. The cooperage is where barrels were made.

A small number of visitors can also volunteer for a special taste test. They compare Jameson Whiskey, Scotch whisky, and American whiskey. If you participate, you can become a "Qualified Irish Whiskey Taster."

Shuttle buses are available from April to October. They run daily from Patrick's Quay, Cork, to the Jameson Experience, Midleton, and back.