The Spirits Insider: From Kilkenny with Craft - The Ballykeefe Whiskey Story
- Emily Sampson
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
A family farm, a distillery, and a sustainable Irish whiskey revolution — Ballykeefe brings its bold, field-to-glass story to Australia.
Tucked away in the rolling green hills of Kilkenny, Ballykeefe Distillery is not just redefining Irish whiskey — it’s reviving a legacy. Family-owned, farm-based, and sustainability-driven, Ballykeefe is Ireland’s first modern on-farm distillery, where the team grows every grain and distils every drop directly from their soil. Marrying old-world craft with modern environmental values, Ballykeefe offers a true field-to-glass experience.
Now available in Australia through Cerbaco, Ballykeefe’s arrival marks the start of an exciting new chapter for lovers of authentic Irish spirits. We sat down with John Ging to explore the land, the whiskey, and the vision behind this remarkable distillery.
Ballykeefe sits just outside Kilkenny, widely recognised as the birthplace of Irish whiskey, first referenced in 1324. The Ging family has farmed this land for generations, and Ballykeefe is the first distillery in the region in over 200 years. Every aspect of the distillery — from its eco-integrated layout to its copper stills — has been designed to reflect traditional Irish values with modern finesse.
“We’re bringing distilling back to Kilkenny for the first time in over two centuries,” says John. “There’s a sense of duty and pride in that.”
Behind the brand is over 25 years of whiskey research by Morgan Ging, who helped build the foundation of the distillery’s production ethos. Complementing his expertise is Jamie Baggett, formerly of Chase Distillery, who now leads the development of Ballykeefe’s award-winning gin and vodka.
While Ballykeefe’s heart lies in whiskey, the distillery also produces award-winning white spirits crafted from Irish-grown potatoes. Their Lady Desart Gin and Irish Vodka, both distilled from a potato base, are exceptionally smooth and reflect the same commitment to flavour, traceability, and local ingredients.
What makes Ballykeefe truly different from other Irish distilleries?
Everything in the bottle comes from our farm. We grow our own barley, distil on-site, and even feed our cattle with the by-products. We’re a single family, single estate, single distillery operation—total traceability from field to glass.
“We don’t buy grain. We grow it. We sow it, harvest it, and distil it. So our whiskey is agriculture in a bottle.” — John Ging
“We’re incredibly excited to bring a truly delicious and uniquely crafted whiskey to Australian drinkers,” says John Ging. “There are deep connections between Irish and Australian communities, and we believe the ‘wow factor’ in Ballykeefe will only strengthen those ties. When people taste our whiskey and understand the labour of love behind it, that connection becomes even more meaningful.”
Sustainability in Action
At Ballykeefe, sustainability isn’t just a commitment — it’s the foundation of everything they do. The distillery achieves zero off-farm waste by giving every by-product a second life on the farm.
“We’ve achieved zero off-farm waste. We feed the pot ale and spent grain to our cattle, and local restaurants later serve that beef as ‘whiskey steaks.’ It’s about legacy, not just liquor.” — John Ging.
The team feeds pot ale and spent grain to their cattle, and they repurpose straw as bedding. They also grow every crop on-site, free from GMOs.
Ballykeefe is a certified member of Ireland’s Origin Green program — the national sustainability initiative led by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. Certification is reviewed annually and requires the achievement of progressively more stringent environmental targets.
To ensure consistency and resilience, the team also maintains a 50% overproduction buffer for their barley crops. At Ballykeefe, sustainability and long-term thinking go hand in hand with craftsmanship.
Pure Water, Perfect Whiskey
Ballykeefe draws its water from a 170-foot-deep aquifer beneath layers of rock, ensuring that no surface contamination occurs. “It’s the purest water you can get,” John explains. “When your whiskey is 46% alcohol, the remaining 54% is water — so it better be perfect.”
Let’s Talk Distilling
“Flavour is everything,” says John Ging. “We grow barley using a zero-nitrate method that boosts character, even if it means less volume. We’re not interested in shortcuts — we’re building flavour bombs.”
At Ballykeefe, flavour doesn’t just matter — it defines everything they do. That uncompromising approach continues in the distillery.
Ballykeefe’s stills are bespoke Italian-engineered, explicitly crafted to produce traditional Irish whiskey. The lyne arm angle is finely tuned to achieve the perfect balance of oils, and only the hearts are distilled, with 17% of the tails discarded to ensure ultra-clean purity in every batch.
This attention to detail defines Ballykeefe’s field-to-glass promise. The team makes every choice — from grain to glass — in service of flavour, authenticity, and legacy.
Every drop of Ballykeefe whiskey tells the story of heritage, hands-on craft, and uncompromising detail. From distillation to maturation, flavour always leads the way.
“You have to have copper in your stills,” John says. “It’s not optional. It’s essential.”
Ballykeefe in the Glass
Triple distilled for exceptional smoothness and complexity, Ballykeefe whiskey is bottled at 46% ABV and is never chill filtered, preserving its full flavour and mouthfeel. Its rich hue comes naturally from the cask, with no artificial colouring added.
The team initially matures the whiskey in a modern warehouse before moving to a traditional dunnage-style building, where Ireland’s cool, temperate climate imparts its subtle influence. Ballykeefe also casks at 63% ABV to encourage deeper flavour extraction.
Staying true to Irish tradition, the Single Pot Still expression features a 60/40 mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, delivering an authentically bold and layered dram.
The Story Behind The Label
The three horses ploughing a field on Ballykeefe’s label represent more than a nod to tradition — they are a tribute to Morgan Ging’s grandfather, a renowned trainer of plough horses. Unlike most, he used three horses instead of two, with the middle horse in training.
Symbolically, the horses represent triple distillation and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. The label’s imagery speaks to learning, legacy, and Ballykeefe’s commitment to reviving Ireland’s proud distilling heritage.
Coming to Australia.
Ballykeefe is now available in Australia through Cerbaco, with initial releases focused on their core Single Pot Still and Single Malt whiskeys. As the brand makes its Australian debut, the goal is simple — connect with kindred spirits who value integrity, flavour, and a story worth sipping.
The Ballykeefe team refers to their export strategy as the “tortoise approach” — slow, steady, and focused on long-term relationships rather than fast scale. By staying 100% family-owned, they ensure quality always drives their growth, not compromise.
Tasting Notes & Serving Suggestions:
Single Malt Irish Whiskey 46% Nose: Toasted oak, citrus, coconut, apple sponge. Palate: Mango, ripe banana, toffee apple, fading to crème brûlée. Finish: Long, with apple custard and a hint of cloves.
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 46% Nose: Caramel toffee, soft oak vanilla, malt cereal, coconut. Palate: Rich, earthy malt with liquorice, cloves, dried fruit, and green cardamom. A splash of water opens the malt even more. Finish: Long, malty, cloved oranges and aniseed.
Perfect Serve: 35.5ml in a tumbler, neat or on the rocks. Add a few drops of water to unlock deeper flavours.
What’s your ideal way to introduce someone to Ballykeefe?
In our tasting room — a beautifully restored stable — we introduce people to Ballykeefe with a dram of our Single Pot Still whiskey, neat. It lets the liquid speak for itself.
Ballykeefe whiskeys pair beautifully with savoury, fatty, and salty foods: Bar snacks (nuts, crisps), Cheese and charcuterie boards, Duck and lamb mains, and Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa) for dessert.
Recent Ballykeefe tasting dinners have featured lamb with whiskey glaze, Muscovy duck, whiskey chocolate ganache, and burnt caramel cream infused with Pot Still.
Ready to taste the Ballykeefe difference?
Order online or contact your Cerbaco sales rep for a sample.
ISSUE #2 | CERBACO 2025
