THE OLD LEMONADE FACTORY
PORT ELLEN
The Islay Rum is the first and only rum distillery to date on the Isle of Islay, situated between Kilnaughton Bay in Port Ellen and the Borraichill. This beautiful art deco style building is steeped in Islay history and, after years of neglect, has been lovingly restored to become the home of Islay's first and truly unique rum.
The building once belonged to Hastie's Lemonade and is referred to by locals as "The Old Lemonade Factory".
We chose a local building company to carry out the renovation. Hastie Construction is run by Scott Hastie, the grandson and great-nephew of Harold and George Hastie, the brothers who built the original factory by hand in 1959. The skill, care and attention which Scott has put into every detail of the work is a true reflection of family values - a real labour of love.
OUR STILL
Copper Pot and Twin Retort
Iconic, breathtakingly beautiful - our pot and twin retort still is unique in the UK. Designed by our Head Distiller, Ben Inglis, to create a smooth, high ester, effectively triple distilled spirit, all from a single distillation run.
Beautifully handcrafted in Scotland by the skilled craftsmen at Speyside Copper Works, in action it truly is a sight to behold.
GREEN ENERGY
Our "green" distillery runs on 100% wholly renewable electricity and features a closed loop cooling system to preserve water. We also re-use a significant proportion of our pot ale to staret the next fermentation. This not only helps to create the intense flavour of the end spirit, but also saves on water and heat energy. We joke that this is our dunder but it's a far cry from the mysterious dunder pits of the old Jamaican distilleries!
VISITING US
We are not open to the public but we'd love to see you! Just give us a call first and we'll make sure someone is around to give you the Islay Rum experience!
The Islay Rum
The Old Lemonade Factory
Port Ellen, Isle of Islay
+44 (0)1496 302679