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Cooley toasts top whiskey award
30.11.09
COOLEY Distillery,
part-owned by Buncrana man Willie McCarter, has been
named European Distiller of the Year for the second
year running. The award was made at the 2009
International Wine and Spirit Competition Awards.
This latest success follows the announcement of a
50% increase in worldwide sales, a 114% increase in
pre-tax profits and a 61% increase in turnover.
Cooley last year increased its pre-tax profits to
€3,330,000 from €1,556,000 for 2007. During the same
period, turnover increased to €18.7 million from the
€11.6 million recorded in 2007. The company
forecasts that 2009 profits will be in line with
2008 despite the recession. |
The awards were made at
the 40th IWSC Awards ceremony at the Guildhall in
London.
The Louth-based distillery topped a great night when
its Kilbeggan 15-year-old blended whiskey collected
the prestigious Brown Forman Trophy for Worldwide
Whiskey of the Year. The Brown Forman Trophy is for
the world's best whiskey produced outside Scotland.
The haul of awards were accepted by Cooley's master
blender Noel Sweeney and sales and |
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marketing manager Jack
Teeling.
"To win one European Distiller of the Year award is
a fantastic achievement; to win two back to back is
unprecedented. This award is testament to the
innovation and dedication of the entire Cooley
staff. Their continued hard work has allowed us to
build on the successes of the past and produce an
extensive portfolio of world class whiskeys led by
our Kilbeggan 15-year-old," said Mr Teeling.
Cooley has an annual capacity of 250,000 cases of 9
litre cases of single malt and 800,000 9 litre cases
of grain whiskey with room to add extra stills as
the distillery develops. |
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