Hinch Distillery experience

Our brief covered naming, branding and product design alongside the interior and experiential design of the facility itself. We built the tour around a “story of production,” using unique experiential pivots to differentiate Hinch from every other production led tour. By managing every detail from the brand inception to the physical space, we created a unified, modern experience for the modern Irish Whiskey drinker.

Naming

The name is a divergence on the town-land of Ballynahinch where the distillery is situated - short, memorable and able to transcend language barriers.

Brand Positioning

The positioning honours the traditional preferences of the client interweaved with modern design cues to help set it apart from the litany of true-heritage brands.

Product Design

We created both the whiskey and gin brands that helped launch the distillery in 2021 and continue to drive sales volume today.

Interior Design

There is a duality in this design. While the architecture honours heritage, the interior guides guests through a visual evolution from heritage to modernity.

Consumer Experience

As with the interior design the experiences range from a traditional hands-on production led narrative to the highly innovative Spectrum Room.

Getting in at the Genesis of the brand afforded us the opportunity to connect every touch point of the consumer journey from the bottle on the shelf to the distillery experience. The name is a divergence on the town-land of Ballynahinch where the distillery is situated - short, memorable and able to transcend language barriers. The branding honours the traditional intent of the private ownership but interweaved with modern undertones to help set the brand apart from the litany of true-heritage brands.

The Genesis of the Hinch brand

Reception, retail and ingredients room

Situated on the historic Killaney Estate near Belfast, this distillery crafts premium whiskies and gins with a meticulous focus on both tradition and innovation - a duality reflected in the design language itself. While the architecture honours its heritage, the interior design guides guests through a deliberate visual evolution from heritage to modernity. Upon entering, guests are immediately immersed in a grand, “country estate” atmosphere. The focal point of this reception is a monumental bourbon barrel chandelier, a piece that hangs with a sense of weight and history above the room below which a bespoke ‘cask draw’ installation allows for an interactive ‘pour your own’ offering. There is a continuation of the heritage design language as tour guests enter the modest sized Ingredients Room. This sensory laboratory is designed to deconstruct the foundations of flavour. The space is split into two: on one side, guests engage with the raw mechanics of whiskey, milling and mashing barley to fully understand its transformation. Opposite this, the room pivots into a vibrant gin botanicals station - a sensory extravaganza. The experience is guided by hands on preparation of ingredients and bespoke botanical wall art created by our in-house artistry team.

Production floor and Spectrum Room

Transitioning from the heritage-design-inspired Ingredients Room into the Brewhouse is marked by a dramatic shift in architectural tone. Guests cross the threshold through large, sub-divided industrial glass panels, which serve as a striking portal to the working heart of the distillery. Stillhouses are notoriously challenging acoustic environments; the combination of high-pressure steam, humming pumps, and vast hard surfaces creates a cacophony that often drowns out tour guides. Recognising this challenge, we chose to keep the information here light, prioritising the ‘Instagram moment’ for guests. To compensate, however, we designed a separate ‘Spectrum Room’, built specifically for deep technical storytelling. This quiet sanctuary is a masterclass in sensory architecture, where intellectual and aesthetic precision converge. On one side, the design features a “spectrum of spirit,” showcasing a cascading library of New Make. This isn’t a display of colour, but a kaleidoscope of flavour influenced by the variables preceding this point. Directly opposite, the room pivots to a spectrum of colour, illustrating the transformative power of wood. This cascade of cask types begins with the subtle influence of a third-fill Bourbon barrel and deepens into the rich hues of bold Sherry cask. Walking the four corners, the tour guide connects these two worlds, linking New Make spirit and maturation choices. Guests nose and taste the distillate and its matured counterpart, understanding the art and science behind the liquid’s evolution.

Tasting rooms & hospitality

The distillery cocktail bar celebrates verticality, with a design that radiates from a dramatic suspended circular backbar. This soaring space heroises the distillery’s vast history, showcasing a monumental collection of vintage stocks that requires a library ladder to reach the rarest expressions. Throughout, luxury soft furnishings and a rich material palette serve as a vibrant, sophisticated celebration of Indian culture.

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