Dublin-based spirits producer Stillgarden Distillery is facing liquidation after failing to secure fresh capital.
In a statement today (5 November), the group said a “lengthy search for new investment has not succeeded”.
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Disruptive Spirits, the corporate entity behind the independent business, “will be placed into creditors’ voluntary liquidation unless a new owner or investor comes forward”, the statement read.
“The business is now ceasing to trade, with a liquidator to be appointed,” Stillgarden said, adding “anyone interested in acquiring the Stillgarden brand, recipes, stock or business should contact” management as soon as possible.
Founded by Victoria Baird, Pat O’Brien and Damien Heary, Stillgarden produces Irish amari and botanical liqueurs at its facility in Inchicore.
The distiller said it grew sales to nearly €400,000 ($448,684) in 2023 amid post-pandemic expansion.
However, rising input costs and a tightening market prompted a restructuring in 2024, when the company narrowed its product portfolio to return the operation to break-even.
Stillgarden said it spent recent months seeking external investment to fund its next growth phase, including plans to appoint an international managing director.
Discussions with prospective backers ended without an agreement, leaving the business unable to continue trading independently.
Baird, who is also the managing director, said: “We made the business leaner, built a brand that people love here and in the UK, and put everything into finding the right investor to take it to the next level.
“There is real demand for what we make. What a small independent distillery needs is capital, and we simply could not keep funding it ourselves.”
Baird added that the founders are seeking an industry buyer to take over operations: “We would love to see Stillgarden carry on in the right hands. If anyone in the industry sees the potential we see, I would ask them to get in touch now.”
Stillgarden was previously financed through crowdfunding and Ireland’s Employment Investment Incentive Scheme.
In addition to its domestic presence in Irish bars, restaurants, and independent retailers, the brand is sold in the UK via online merchant Master of Malt.
Just Drinks has approached Stillgarden for further comment.
