Jameson And Teeling Close Visitor Centers Due To Coronavirus

With St. Patrick’;s Day approaching this week [March 17], Irish whiskey distilleries, Jameson and Teeling in the Republic of Ireland have closed their visitor centers due to the ongoing coronvirus [Covid-19] pandemic. There have been 70 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and one death in Ireland.

Irish Distillers, the Irish whiskey arm of Pernod Ricard, issued a statement explaining their decision to close their Jameson Bow Street and Midleton sites.

The statement said: “As always, the health of our employees, along with our customers and the communities we operate within is our top priority. We have been monitoring the Covid-19 situation closely and following guidance from government and the HSE [Health and Safety Executive], we have made the decision to close our brand homes in Bow St, Dublin, and Midleton, County Cork, effective from close of business 12/03/2020.”

Irish Distillers said it will reopen its doors for the two sites on 30 March “or when it is appropriate to do so”. The company said it will continue to provide updates on the Jameson website and across its social media channels.

Similarly, Dublin-based Teeling Whiskey Distillery also issued a statement confirming that they, too, will close their visitor center site until at least March 29, 2020.

Their statement said: “We are sorry to say with the increasing concerns around the spread of Covid-19 we have taken the decision to close the Teeling Whiskey Distillery to visitors from close of business tonight until the 29th March 2020. We are sorry for the inconvenience however the safety of our visitors and staff is our priority. We will keep you updated on this situation over the coming weeks. Stay safe.”

All of the distilleries have offered refunds or re-bookings for customers who had planned to visit during the closure period.