Founded over 50 years ago, Drino Drinks is one of Ireland’s oldest Wholesale Supplier to the Licensed & Retail Trades. Based in Carrick on Shannon, we pride ourselves on being a family business and for bringing Better Value and Better Service to our many customers.
In 1957 Pat McGovern still in his teens, together with his brother Mark commenced making squashes, cordials and glucose drinks at his home (Rantogue Stores) outside Drumshanbo. This venture proved very successful and a year later, purchased a second-hand, hand operated machine that had been used on a luxury liner. These drinks were sold under the brand they registered as Drino.
In 1968 they decided to concentrate solely on the production of soft drinks. The development of a product which was called FUN proved to be novel and unique as they were the first in Ireland to introduce and use an aluminium screw cap instead of the then crown cap or black stopper used by Lucozade. It looked very much a designer drink presented in an enamelled bottle instead of the stuck on label used by other drinks manufacturers. In 1972 they extended the factory and installed a fully automatic production line.
In the early Eighties plastic bottles were coming to the market and they recognised that this was going to replace glass bottles. It was back to the drawing board to assess the future. It was going to cost in the region of £1,000,000 to re-equip for this new departure. Sales and location would not justify that expenditure.
It was decided to gradually wind down production, and instead to concentrate on supplying the bar trade with the new phase of long neck bottles and many new designer drinks which were coming on to the market. This remained a growing business, so with the passage of time the premises at Rantogue became too small and expansion was needed.
A new large purpose built warehouse would have to be built to cater for the increased volume. This new state of the art facility was built in Carrick on Shannon. In early 2005, Pat and his loyal team moved to the warehouse with a wealth of experience behind them and still ambitious and enthusiastic for the future, which is still evident today.
In May 2018, Drino Drinks and Tara Wholesale Bottlers combined their businesses to give our valued customers a broader range of products. Both businesses are family owned, with a combined 100 years trading between them. Drino Drinks is now the largest independent wholesaler in the North West and Midlands, servicing customers in Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Cavan, Roscommon, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare and Dublin.
