County Down hosts several chief craft breweries and distilleries that form part of the local drinks production scene. Whitewater Brewery in Castlewellan began operations in 1996 on a family farm in the Mourne Mountains. It produces a range of beers with its chief products including ales lagers and special expressions with a USP in its status as the largest microbrewery in the county and long-term independent operation since the mid-1990s.
Ards Brewing Company in Greyabbey near Newtownards commenced in 2011 as a small-scale one-man operation. It produces craft beers with its chief products centring on ales and other styles with a USP in its revival of brewing on the Ards Peninsula through small-batch production.
Echlinville Distillery on the Ards Peninsula started in 2013 as the first new distillery in the region for over 125 years. It operates as a single-estate producer with barley grown harvested and malted on the family farm. Its chief products include Irish whiskey gin vodka and poitín with a USP in the complete farm-to-glass process for traceability and authenticity.
Hinch Distillery near Ballynahinch on the Killaney Estate launched production in late 2020. It produces triple-distilled Irish whiskey with its chief products including bourbon cask and peated single malt expressions alongside gin with a USP in its modern facility allowing full visibility of the distillation process and collaborations with local breweries for cask finishes.
Rademon Estate Distillery near Downpatrick opened in 2012 on a historic family estate. It produces Shortcross Gin with its chief products centring on gin expressions with a USP in its estate-based operation and focus on premium gin production.
Killowen Distillery in the Mourne Mountains at Rostrevor functions as a small craft operation. It produces single pot still whiskey rum gin poitín and liqueurs with its chief products including artisan spirits with a USP in the use of flame-fed pot stills worm tub condensers and traditional methods for fuller-bodied results.
Copeland Distillery on the east coast began in 2019. It produces Irish gin rum single malt and pot still whiskey with its chief products including classic and navy strength gins alongside maturing whiskeys with a USP in its innovative approach as a craft producer on Ireland’s east coast.
Craft Brewing & Distilling county by county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Dining
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Restaurant awards
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow – Overall – County winners – Georgina Campbell – Good Food Ireland – Michelin Star
County Down:
Ireland’s county Down offers a mix of historic sites and scenic landscapes, with Downpatrick’s Saint Patrick Centre and cathedral providing insights into Ireland’s patron saint. The Mourne Mountains offer hiking trails with sweeping views, while Strangford Lough provides kayaking and wildlife spotting. Other attractions include the historic Tollymore Forest Park. Down is Ireland’s 12th largest county by size (2,447 square km) and fourth largest by population (553,261). Population peaked at 361,446 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 204,303, in 1911. In terms of hospitality, Down is Ireland’s 18th most visited tourist county with around 127,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – New – Name – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
