The Old Bushmills Distillery enjoyed another year or rising sales and profits in 2023, new accounts for the Irish whiskey producer show.
The Co Antrim operation hit a record £56.8 million in turnover for the year ended December 31 2023, with profit before tax up 9% year-on-year to £11.25m.
The accounts cover the period when Bushmills opened its new £37m Causeway Distillery, as part of the efforts to ramp up Irish whiskey production at the north coast site.
The latest report filed with Companies House shows a 30% increase in the value of new spirit produced in 2023 compared to 2022.
The value of the new make spirit maturing for under one year grew from £36.3m in 2022 to £47.2m last year.
The Old Bushmills Distillery also registered a significant increase in the value of its aged whiskey casks.
The value of whiskey maturing for more than one year was estimated at £141m last year, 20% (£23.5m) more than in 2022.
Bushmills, which has been owned by the Becle Group since 2014, the Mexican drinks giant behind Jose Cuervo, also faced a £5m tax bill for 2023, according to the accounts.
The Co Antrim distillery employed 126 people in 2023, with total staff costs rising 10% year-on-year to £7.755m.
The distillery also reveals Bushmills earned £1.9m from royalty income in 2023, albeit slightly down from the £2.2m in 2022.
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