Irish micro-distillery Blackwater Distillery has opened and is set to begin producing Blackwater No 5 Gin in the near future.

When produced, the Blackwater No 5 Gin will initially be available for sale at select off-licences.

The Blackwater Distillery in Cappoquin, which is located at the Enterprise Park, is the third micro-distillery to open in Ireland last year.

Besides Blackwater, one distillery opened in Tipperary just weeks before Christmas and, before that, one in Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow.

Blackwater Distillery director Peter Mulryan was quoted by the Irish Independent as saying: "We have a national distribution operation prepared and waiting and we are looking at all marketing aspects, including exports, which I hope will become a big item. The export market is very important as the Irish market is not that big."

Blackwater Distillery also has plans to distill whiskey at a later date.

Image: Blackwater Distillery to begin gin production. Photo: courtesy of savit keawtavee / freedigitalphotos.net.