Locke's Distillery has the distinction of being the oldest licensed distillery in the world dating back to 1757. This was a small rural distillery that prospered in the 19th century by successfully exporting its whiskey to the UK, US, Argentina, Australia and other UK colonies. The change in the economic climate eventually forced Locke's to cease operations in 1953 and sell of its assets. This loss in distilling history was ultimately Cooley Distillery's gain when it bought over Locke's Distillery and its remaining assets in the late 1980's.
Nowadays, the whiskey for the Locke's brands is created at the Cooley distillery, with the maturation taking place at the Locke's distillery warehouses in Kilbeggan.
