Minnesota entrepreneur Patrick O’Shaughnessy launches O’Shaughnessy Distilling
It’s not often that Minnesota can attract THE Master Distiller from Jameson Whiskey in County Cork, Ireland, to serve as Master Distiller at the new O’Shaughnessy Distilling operation. But in fact, Avisen Legal client Patrick O’Shaughnessy did just that! The Distillery will launch this summer in the Prospect Park area of St. Paul. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Avisen Legal partner, Jeff Robbins, to discuss his role in guiding and advising on this exciting project.
Q. You have worked with the O’Shaughnessy family for several years. What was the evolution of their desire to get into the distillery business?
A. Patrick O’Shaughnessy and his cousin, Michael, are whiskey connoisseurs and serial entrepreneurs. The family originally is from Ireland and came to the U.S. during the Great Famine of the 1840s caused by potato blight. As Patrick recently told the Whiskey Advocate, an industry publication, “We have an old Irish heritage that goes back many generations, and of course today, we’re Irish Americans. Being able to blend our old Irish origins with who we are today in a family business that allows us to collaborate on something that’s creative and passionate is really at the heart of why we embarked on this journey.”
Q. How was Prospect Park selected as the ideal location for the new distillery?
A. Prospect Park has become a hub for food and beverage-based entertainment, spearheaded by the Surly Brewing facility located next door to the O’Shaughnessy Distillery locale. As a bonus, the building under rehabilitation was constructed in 1945 and was a former potato processing plant, offering a unique historical connection to the family’s move to the U.S. from Ireland.
Q. How did you work with O’Shaughnessy Distilling to make the dream a reality?
A. The Avisen team has worked with the family office and its team principally on corporate and finance matters for the distillery project, including work on the equity fundraising.
For more information on the O’Shaughnessy Distilling project, read this feature story from the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal published on March 18, 2021. We all look forward to experiencing Irish Whiskey distilled by Brian Nation, former Master Distiller from Jameson in County Cork, Ireland. We hope you will join us – – Sláinte!
