The Enduring Spirit: How a historic liqueur is paving the way for a new Anglesey whisky distillery.
For decades, long before the modern resurgence of Welsh whisky, a unique Welsh whisky liqueur has been quietly delighting palates. The Celtic Spirit Company, a family-run business in Anglesey, are the proud custodians of this legacy and, as key figures Matthew Nielsen and Greg Patton shared, have ambitious plans to honour it by establishing a new Welsh whisky distillery.
Highlights
The Celtic Spirit Company, originally a homebrew business started in 1969, is a family affair now run by husband and wife team Matthew and Sally Nielsen.
In 2010, they acquired the Celtic Spirit brand, including the Danzy Jones whisky liqueur, whose recipe dates back to the 1890s.
The Danzy Jones is described as an "old style mellow" whisky liqueur, flavoured with rosehip and herbs, making it subtle and not overly sweet.
The company's long-term ambition is to fulfil a family dream and build a distillery to produce their own single malt Welsh whisky on their Anglesey site.
They recently built a new visitor centre and café and have plans to expand their tourism offering with full distillery tours and gin-making experiences.
From homebrew to heritage liqueurs
The story of the Celtic Spirit Company is one of family, passion, and entrepreneurial flair. The business was started in Chester in 1969 by Richard, Matthew Nielsen's father-in-law, who initially produced and sold homebrew kits around the world. In 1989, the family and the business moved back to their roots in Anglesey.
As the homebrew market began to fade, Richard, described as a "serial entrepreneur," diversified into producing liqueurs in 1997. Matthew Nielsen joined the family business in 1998 after meeting his wife Sally when they were just teenagers. Together, they have continued the legacy.
A pivotal moment came in 2010 when the company became the custodians of the historic Celtic Spirit brand, moving it from Abergavenny to Anglesey. The previous owner, Ben Jones, was a good family friend and wanted to ensure his legacy would continue in Wales. The team has been "immensely proud" to carry on that tradition ever since.
The Danzy Jones: A taste of Welsh history
The star of the Celtic Spirit portfolio is the Danzy Jones whisky liqueur. Its recipe remarkably dates back to the 1890s. The original creator, Danzy Jones, was known for gathering rose hips and herbs from the roadside to craft his liqueur, selling his first bottles in Builth Wells.
Unlike many modern liqueurs, the Danzy Jones is praised for its subtlety. Matthew describes it as an "old style mellow whiskey" that isn't "overly sweet" or "syrupy". It is a "rosehip and herb whiskey liqueur" that offers a unique flavour profile with the expected fiery kick of a good whisky. The company has kept the original recipe, even increasing the ABV back to its original strength after it had been lowered by a previous owner. This enduring product has also led to collaborations, most notably with Blas ar Fwyd cheddar, who infuse a cheese with the liqueur.
The future: A Welsh Whisky Distillery in Anglesey
While proud of their history, the team is firmly focused on the future. The ultimate ambition is to fulfil Richard's dream of creating a Welsh whisky distillery on their site. "It's basically to to carry on his legacy," Matthew explained, "his idea and ambition was obviously to create his own whisky".
This is a long-term project, but the foundations are being laid. The company has already invested in a new, modern electric still and developed a visitor centre and café which opened during the Covid pandemic. They have plans to further develop the site to attract more tourism, including offering full distillery tours and spirit-making experiences. They are also looking to install solar panels to enhance their sustainability. The revenue generated from these expansions will hopefully provide the funding needed to push forward with the whisky distillery.
The team understands the challenges and the significant financial investment required for whisky production. However, they are determined to see the project through and create their own single malt, adding another chapter to their incredible story and to the story of Welsh whisky. As they look to the future, it is the legacy of the past that continues to drive them forward, a legacy as enduring and well-built as the distillery equipment Richard installed, which they jokingly admit they now can't dismantle.
To hear the full story from the team themselves, listen to the complete interview with Matthew and Greg on the Whisgi Wales Podcast : creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/whisgi-wales/episodes/Episode-19-The-Celtic-Spirit-Company
