Eight years after it was first granted planning permission, Ardgowan Distillery is preparing to officially open its doors on Friday 20 June, marking a significant milestone in the revival of Inverclyde’s whisky heritage.
The grand opening ceremony, led by Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, will be followed by a celebration from 3pm to 7pm, when the state-of-the-art distillery opens its doors to the public.
New make spirit production at the distillery, which sits on the outskirts of Inverkip, started in March after two copper stills were installed last November.
Standing at 6.4 metres and 5.4 metres tall, with a capacity of 12,000 litres for the wash still and 9,000 for the spirit still, the stills are designed with both spirit character and energy efficiency in mind. They incorporate thermal vapour recompression technology, which compresses and reintroduces steam into the process to reduce energy waste and supports Ardgowan’s mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the next five years.
Ardgowan’s first major single malt is scheduled for release in 2032, under the guidance of master blender Max McFarlane and distillery manager Laura Davies.
