Raise a Glass!!

There were once over 200 licensed Irish distilleries on the island of Ireland (and many more unlicensed ones) producing whiskey, poitín, and gin. Up until recent years, only a handful remained.  Now we are finally seeing the return of distilleries with some fantastic new local brands emerging. Moreover, the new local brands are enhancing our whiskey touring experience in Ireland.

This year has already been an exciting year for whiskey in Ireland. Teelings Distillery released its first whiskey batch this year, opening in 2015. In April 2018, Jameson Bow Street Distillery was named the world’s most visited whiskey experience. Furthermore, this month the distillery won the World’s leading distillery tour at the World Travel Awards in Lisbon.

Dublin Liberties Distillery 

The Dublin Liberties Distillery is due to officially open just before Christmas. It looks set to be a brilliant new addition to our tourism product in Dublin. The Liberties Distillery will be located in Dublin’s most historic and well-known working-class neighbourhoods, an area so rich in history that the Distillery will focus on bringing the stories of the area to life alongside the distillation of its whiskey.

Pearse Lyons Distillery

The Pearse Lyons Distillery opened in 2018 and is already marking its place as a top visitor experience in Dublin – housed in the beautifully restored 800 years old St. James Church, the distillery takes you on a journey through time with the help of their wonderful storytellers.

 Powerscourt Distillery

Powerscourt Distillery will open its doors early 2019, the distillery is located in the Old Mill of the Powerscourt Estate in Co. Wicklow and will be another ‘must do’ on any visitors wish list in this area. The Old Mill House is being faithfully restored and extended to help accommodate the distillery’s development, being one of the older buildings it boasts an ancient water mill deep in its foundations. The Distillery will offer day tours and will have six private tasting rooms for smaller groups.

However, it’s not the only distillery entering the whiskey world in Co. The Glendalough Distillery called Wicklow, currently runs a selective number of ‘Meet the Makers’ tours a truly authentic experience for any whiskey aficionado.

There’s no doubt it’s an exciting time for whiskey tourism in Ireland and we look forward to including all these experiences in our bespoke itineraries.

For more information on Irish distilleries, please contact us on our website.

*  Amanda Robinson our Ireland Experience Designer, has written this article.