Royal Oak Distillery is part of ILLVA SARONNO holding S.p.A. ILLVA SARONNO, a multinational business with headquarters in Saronno, Varese, Italy, founded in 1947 by the Reina family. The family can trace their involvement in liqueurs back to 1600 when Giovanni Reina rediscovered the old recipe for almonds steeped in alcoholic spirits. The recipe was then passed secretly from one generation to the next, right up to the early 1900s, when Domenico Reina decided to open a shop/workshop, which took the name of “Domenico Reina Coloniali”, situated in the heart of Saronno. Soon the shop became a crossroads where people stopped in to taste and buy his products. In the wake of the success of this artisan trade (July 23rd 1947) and Disaronno soon became a symbol of Italian taste.

Fast forward to today, ILLVA SARONNO produces world-famous brands – Disaronno, Tia Maria, The Busker Irish Whiskey, Engine Organic Gin, Rabarbaro Zucca, Rump@blic, Cantine Florio Marsala and Duca di Salaparuta wine.

Royal Oak Distillery is a modern progressive distillery, with ambitions to be best in its class. It distils all three styles of Irish whiskey – pot still, malt and grain with innovative and modern techniques.

In 2014, Mr. Augusto Reina’s vision was to expand the business into Irish Whiskey. A site was identified in Royal Oak, Co. Carlow and the building of a new 2M OLA distillery was completed in 2015, with the first production occurring on Easter Sunday 27^th March 2016. The distillery produces all three types of Irish whiskey (malt, pot and grain whiskey).

During the period of 2021 to 2023, the distillery was upgraded with full plant automation, new columns and further investment in systems and equipment to improve the efficiency and consistency of quality of the spirit produced. A warehouse development was completed in 2022 in Waterford to mature our spirit, ensuring complete control of our supply chain from grain to glass

All these years later, Augusto Reina’s vision remains part of our values and, in his words, “We are proud of our past, yet we are equally aware we must look ahead, for our tomorrow entails both great opportunities and great responsibilities.”