The Shed Distillery

What The Shed Distillery does

The Shed Distillery (legally PJ Rigney Distillery & International Brands Ltd) is a privately held, founder-owned craft distillery founded in December 2014 in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, Ireland, and notable as the first distillery in Connacht in over a century. It produces three spirits core lines: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin (slow-distilled in medieval copper pot stills using gunpowder tea and oriental botanicals, with multiple limited expressions including Sardinian Citrus, California Orange, Brazilian Pineapple, Italian Fig & Laurel, and themed ceramic bottles), Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (triple distilled with Irish Malted Barley, Barley, and Barra Oats, including a 10-year Kentucky Bourbon & Acacia cask expression at €95/700ml), and Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka (distilled with African Sausage Tree fruit and wild Irish nettle). Head Distiller Brian Taft oversees quality.

The business operates a vertically integrated commercial model combining direct e-commerce (thesheddistillery.com), US wholesale (with a Store Locator launched in late 2025), and a destination visitor experience at the distillery site: guided tours (€19-€55pp), the Honey Badger Bar (botanical glasshouse cocktail bar), the Jackalope Café, and a Curious Gift Shop. Pricing spans €39.95-€95 for 700ml bottles, €19-€55pp for tours, and €59.95-€129 for gift hampers and cocktail kits. The brand has accumulated third-party validation including Whisky Advocate's 'World Top 20 Whiskey' (2020), TripAdvisor Travelers Choice / Best of the Best awards, and recognition from Wine Enthusiast and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Customer segments are diversified and non-overlapping: premium spirits consumers (primary), tourism and experience seekers (primary), and gift buyers (secondary). Geography served is currently Ireland and the United States, with delivery restrictions to courier-only in Australia. Headcount is 51-100 employees, ownership is founder-controlled, and there are no identified institutional investors, subsidiaries, or acquisitions.

Name

The Shed Distillery

Legal name

P J Rigney Distillery & International Brands Ltd

Website

https://thesheddistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Shed Distillery is a privately held Irish craft distillery in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, that produces Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and Sausage Tree Vodka, serving premium spirits consumers, tourism visitors, and gift buyers through direct e-commerce, on-site tours, bar and café, and US retail distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Craft Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft gin distillery
• Irish whiskey production
• Spirits manufacturing
• Distillery tours
• Vodka production

Headquarters

HQ city

Leitrim

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales: Direct sales of proprietary spirits including Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin (multiple expressions), Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Single Malt Irish Whiskey, and Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka through e-commerce and at-distillery retail.
2. Visitor Experience & Tours: Revenue from guided distillery tours (The Curious Journey Distillery Tour from €19pp, Grand Cru Whiskey Experience €30pp, 10 Year Whiskey Tour €55pp), bar sales at Honey Badger Bar, and café sales at Jackalope Café.
3. Merchandise & Accessories: Sales of branded merchandise including clothing (hats, t-shirts, hoodies, socks), barware (glasses, bar mats, bottle openers, jiggers, cocktail shakers, strainers), souvenirs (magnets, keychains, pins, notebooks), and enamel mugs.
4. Gift Hampers & Cocktail Kits: Pre-packaged gift solutions including hampers (Gin & Tour Hamper €69, The Shed Creations Hamper €129, Curious Journey Hamper €69) and cocktail kits (Italian Fig Spritz €64.95, Brazilian Pineapple Summer Carnival €59.95, California Orange Spritz €64.95).
5. Personalized Products: Personalized bottle services and limited edition ceramic bottles for gifting occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Shed Distillery produces premium Irish spirits including Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin (with multiple botanical expressions), Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka. It also operates a destination visitor experience featuring guided distillery tours, the Honey Badger Bar, the Jackalope Café, and gift shop, alongside branded merchandise, gift hampers, and cocktail kits.

Product overview

The Shed Distillery is a family-owned distillery producing a portfolio of spirits centered around three core brands: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin (the flagship product with multiple expressions including California Orange Citrus, Sardinian Citrus, Brazilian Pineapple, Italian Fig & Laurel Edition, and limited editions like Panda Conservation and Dragon Edition), Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (including a 10-year aged version and Tawny Port Cask variant), and Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka. The distillery also operates a visitor experience business offering distillery tours, the Honey Badger Bar (botanical glasshouse bar), and the Jackalope Café restaurant. Their product line includes various gift hampers and cocktail kits as add-on accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin: Flagship gin product featuring oriental botanicals and gunpowder tea, with various expressions including Sardinian Citrus, California Orange, Brazilian Pineapple, Italian Fig & Laurel, and limited editions.
• Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
• Sausage Tree Pure Irish Vodka
• Honey Badger Bar
• Jackalope Café

Products and services

• Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

Quantifiable outcome

• Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ranked among 'World Top 20 Whiskey' by Whisky Advocate in 2020

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• US RetailersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 November 2025Gunpowder Irish Gin expanded to select retailers in the US with the new Italian Fig & Laurel expression. The brand maintains a US Store Locator on its website to direct consumers to retail locations.
• Bruno VanzanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with twice World Champion Mixologist & Hospitality Extraordinaire Bruno Vanzan on the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Italian Fig & Laurel Edition (Bruno Vanzan Edition). Features Viola Fig, Italian Laurel, and Tuscan Juniper. The partnership combines Vanzan's cocktail expertise with PJ Rigney's distilling to create a premium limited edition expression.
• Electric Bike Trails LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeitrim Village-based electric bike tour operator that partners with The Shed Distillery for the Jackalope Cycle Trail experience. Cyclists begin at Electric Bike Trails in Leitrim Village and ride to The Shed Distillery for the Curious Journey Tour and tasting experience. 3.5-hour guided adventure blending slow tourism, nature, and distillery experience.
• Sichuan Green FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation partnership for the Panda Conservation Edition of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin. A proportion of proceeds from each gold-foiled ceramic bottle sold is donated to support Giant Panda conservation efforts in China, aligning brand storytelling with social impact.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Glendalough Distillery: Irish craft distillery producing gin, whiskey, and vodka with botanical/foraged positioning similar to Shed's exotic-ingredient story. Comparable in scale and craft premium positioning.
• Pearse Lyons Distillery: Dublin-based Irish whiskey distillery housed in a historic building with a major visitor/tourism experience. Closest functional comparator to The Shed's destination-distillery model.
• Echlinville Distillery: Northern Ireland craft distillery producing premium Irish whiskey and gin with on-site distillery experience. Similar craft positioning and visitor-driven model.
• Teeling Whiskey Distillery: Dublin-based Irish whiskey distillery with a strong visitor/tourism experience, premium single pot still and single malt expressions, and international distribution. Direct comparator in Irish craft distillery + destination experience model.
• Slane Distillery: Irish whiskey distillery co-owned by a global spirits group (Beam Suntory/Brown-Forman), with visitor experience and premium positioning. Useful peer for partnership/distribution economics.
• West Cork Distillers: Irish craft distillery producing gin, vodka, and whiskey with international distribution. Comparable scale and multi-category craft spirits strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Hendrick's Gin: William Grant & Sons' premium gin brand known for unusual botanical infusions (rose, cucumber) — analog for what Gunpowder Irish Gin does with gunpowder tea and exotic botanicals.
• Kilbeggan / Tullamore (Tullamore D.E.W.): Established Irish whiskey producers with broader portfolios and global distribution. Represents the incumbent competitive set Shed must displace for international shelf space.
• Drumshanbo / Tanqueray (Diageo) — Tanqueray range: Major global gin portfolio competing for premium on-trade listings. Represents the scaled competition in the gin category Shed is targeting with distribution expansion.
• Aviation Gin (or Bombay Sapphire): Major premium gin brands with strong on-trade presence and tourism/visitor center (Bombay Sapphire at Laverstoke). Relevant for benchmark on visitor-center scale economics and premium gin distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gunpowder.gin
• Xx.com/sheddistillery
• Facebookfacebook.com/thesheddrumshanbo.ie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-shed-distillery-of-pj-rigney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Shed Distillery