An Apple Strudel High Ball doesn’t sound a very Irish cocktail but it is one of the builds recommended by Titanic Distillers of Belfast.
Based on Queen’s Island in the city’s Titanic Quarter, the award-winning distillery is located in the former Pumphouse at Thompson Dock, where RMS Titanic stood for fitting out, prior to her maiden voyage in 1912.
The red-brick Pumphouse, with its original arched windows and distinctive clock tower that once housed engines that drained over 26 million gallons of water from Thompson Dock, has been transformed into a working whiskey distillery. The first in Belfast for almost 90 years.Top of Form
“We are proud of bringing such an iconic building back to life,” says CEO Stephen Symington. “Every time we open the doors, we can’t help but feel the magic of the place. It’s an honour to stand where shipbuilders once stood, to remember their craft, courage and the friendships forged through blood, sweat and years!”
The distillery’s 8 Year Old Single Malt won a gold medal at the 2026 London Spirits Competition. Its 5 Years Pot Still PX Finish Whisky was voted The Pot Still Shiwkcy of the Year. Head distiller Damien Rafferty is this year’s Craft Distiller of the Year. The distillery also makes a premium vodka and poitín.
Continues Symington : “Craftsmanship is at the core of Titanic Distillers. We have created a whiskey that the people of Belfast can be proud of and have a unique brand that we are excited to now showcase to customers around the world in a modern and contemporary way
Top of Form“At Titanic Distillers, we are inspired by the designers and craftspeople of the early 1900s who were bold enough to build a ship in Belfast on a scale that had never been seen before/We share that ethos of creating something iconic and bold that will hopefully become globally renowned.”
In the early 1900s, Belfast was the largest producer of Irish whiskey in the world. Partition and prohibition brought much of this production to a halt, but Titanic Distillers is now playing an active role in reinvigorating the city’s whisky tradition.
“Securing the Thompson Dock and Pumphouse was the last piece of the puzzle for us in getting Titanic Distillers off the ground. It gave us a credible home and brought the brand to life.”
In 2023, Titanic’s distillery began producing its first whiskey.
“Back in 1911, everything would have been powered with coal or peat fires. Our first blend has smoky, peated notes as a reference to this era of Belfast’s history.”
Titanic’s flagship blend won Silver at the World Whiskies Awards and Gold at the New York International Spirits Awards.”
“We are about go into a global expansion journey.The USA will be one of the biggest markets for Titanic whiskey.
Someone once said that after ‘God’ and ‘Coca Cola,’ ‘Titanic’ is the most easily recognisable word in the English language.
A new Titanic Distillers package allows guests to experience not one, but two icons of the Titanic Quarter: TheTitanic Hotel Belfast in the meticulously restored former Harland & Wolff offices, andTitanic Distillers, in the classic period architecture of Thompson Dock Pumphouse.
The package includes an overnight stay, in one of hotel’s Belfast’s elegant nautical‑themed bedrooms, where streamlined Art Deco furnishings, ships’ lanterns and maritime artwork evoke the Golden Age of ocean travel and the distiller’s Signature Tour.
A sample of its premium, award-winning, Irish whiskey and artisan truffles await guests in their room, setting the tone for a truly memorable stay, blending contemporary comfort with an authentic sense of place.
The tour our is a fully guided experience through the visually stunning working distillery and historic Pumphouse. During the tour, guests learn how Belfast’s whiskey tradition faded and has now been revived on the very spot where Titanic once dominated the skyline.s.
Siobhan Winston, General Manager of Titanic Distillers says : ““Alongside the Titanic Hotel Belfast, we’re offering an experience that feels both rooted in Belfast’s past and relevant to today. At Titanic Distillers, it’s about quality, authenticity and giving visitors a fresh way to engage with the city’s whiskey story. We offer something that feels distinctive, social and memorable, and we look forward to welcoming guests to experience it for themselves in the heart of Belfast’s Maritime Mile.”
Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast adds “The Titanic Distillers Package brings together two of Belfast’s greatest stories – shipbuilding and whiskey – in one unforgettable experience. Guests stay where some of the world’s most famous ocean liners were designed, then step just moments away to see how Belfast’s distilling tradition has been reborn in the very heart of the Titanic Quarter. It is a unique way to experience the authenticity, warmth and character that make this part of the city so special.”