Ardbeg whisky is considered Islay's calling card, and the distillery itself is one of the most successful in the region. The history of production begins at the end of the eighteenth century, when the McDougall family of landowners founded a small distillery to distill excess barley. Officially, a license for the production of whiskey was obtained in 1815.

Despite all the efforts of the McDougall family, the establishment of the distillery as a commercial producer of whiskey was not very successful. The First and Second World War also caused serious damage to the Isla whiskey industry and distilleries: production was prohibited by law, and spirits were supplied exclusively for the needs of the army. In the postwar years, the distillery resumed operation, but could not succeed in the market. As a result, in 1959, the family decided to sell the distillery to Distillers Company Limited.

In the 60-70s, there was a rise in the whiskey industry, and the demand for peat spirits increased significantly. Ardbeg faced capacity shortages and, from 1974, was forced to switch from its own barley production to the raw materials of the Port Ellen malthouse. Soon the classic outdoor malting became outdated, and the kiln distillery fell silent.

During the crisis in the industry that broke out in the 80s, the distillery was going through difficult times, and production was almost stopped. In the late 80s, the distillery was sold to the Allied Lyons company, which would soon buy out Ardbeg's neighbor Laphroaig distillery. The memory of those times when people worked in the morning at one distillery, and after lunch at another, is alive, and the friendship between the teams of these distilleries continues today. Unfortunately, the new owner failed, and in 1996 the distillery was once again closed.

But the dark streak ends sooner or later. In 1997, the Ardbeg distillery was transferred to the management of Glenmorangie, which faced the difficult task of not losing the uniqueness of the distillery's spirits.

The investment of a major concern and the talent of Dr. Bill Lamsden created a miracle. It is safe to say that today Ardbeg is an icon of the island. Employees, including the current head of the distillery Mickey Heads, have come a long and difficult way. Through their efforts, the distillery experienced a new birth. The Ardbeg team puts their whole soul into their favorite distillery, and this, in turn, is appreciated and understood by the huge army of Ardbeg whiskey fans. In gratitude to the fans, the Ardbeg Committee community was founded in 2000, which includes more than two hundred thousand people from all over the world.