Wherever you stand on whiskey, gin, Poitín and other spirts, when heading to the Emerald Isle, a distillery visit is pretty much essential, especially with the exciting brands coming out of the country. Whether you’re making for cosmopolitan Dublin, busy Belfast or the rugged Wild Atlantic way, here are our picks of the best Irish distilleries you can currently visit.
Jameson Distillery Bow Street, Dublin
If you’re coming to Ireland to drink, you’ve got to come to Jameson. The world’s best-selling Irish whiskey has, as you might expect, a world-class tasting set up in Dublin to match its reputation. Visit the Bow Street distillery any day of the week for a 40-minute tour round the historic brick-fronted building, join 90-minute whiskey blending masterclass or to enjoy a cocktail-making session shaking up three Jameson-studded delights. They even serve drinks to go – the perfect aperitif ahead of a night on the town.
More info and booking details here.
Waterford Distillery, Waterford
Boutiquey distillery Waterford has set itself no small goal: it wants to produce the world’s most ‘unique, complex and profound whisky’ (yep, that’s spelled the Scottish way, without the ‘e’). On a tasting tour, find out what they’re doing to make the dream real – from the big stuff like a terroir-driven approach, featuring ‘single origin’ barley from a select few Irish farms, to the little things like their eye-catching, blue, glass bottles. The sessions are currently on ice due to covid, but keep eyes peeled on the website to find out when they return.
More info and booking details here.
Slane Whiskey, Co. Meath
It’s hard to beat this setting. Slane Whiskey is set on the rolling green estate of Slane Castle, a scenic pile on the River Boyne – a venue that’s also played host to Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen concerts. Ahead of a tasting in the Stalls Bar – the smooth triple-cask blend is all vanilla, butterscotch and baking spice notes – take a tour of the distillery. By the time you leave, you’ll know all about Slane’s sustainably grown estate barley, and its maturation in virgin oak, seasoned Tennessee whiskey and oloroso sherry barrels.
More info and booking details here.
Bushmills Distillery, Co. Offaly
With 400 years of history under its belt, this is the oldest licensed distillery on the planet – and another must-see for your list. Bushmills’s tour is a great introduction to whiskey-making in Ireland, too. As well as hearing about the production process, you’ll visit the towering copper stills, spy ageing barrels and sip two, free samples at the tasting bar. While you’re waiting for the tipples to wear off, have a poke around the gift shop and stock up on your favourite bottles.
More info and booking details here.
Kilbeggan Distillery, Co Westmeath
When this leading Irish distillery, set on river banks to the west of Dublin, was closed in the 1950s, its surrounding namesake town rallied together and bought it. These days, Kilbeggan is owned by Beam-Suntory, but it still retains a local charm with its stone-fronted walls and atmospheric barrel ageing rooms. The hospitality goes beyond paid-for tours; you can also join free daily demonstrations as experts shake up cocktails, brew Irish coffees or share tasting notes from a selection of whiskeys and other spirits, such as Ireland’s famed poitín (traditional Irish, distilled white spirit).
More info and booking details here.
Dingle Distillery, Co. Kerry
Dangling off Dingle, on the epic Wild Atlantic Way driving route, this is one of Ireland’s finest modern artisan distilleries. It’s only been producing since 2012, so it’s early days yet, and your visit will shed insight into the indie side of the whiskey-making and gin-making craft. While you’ll have to hold out for tours to restart (thanks, coronavirus), when they do you can expect them to run multiple times a day, and include a tasting of the distillery’s rowan berry-infused gin and creamy vodka. Bring along a designated driver, and you can pair it with a scenic drive along Ireland’s prettiest coastline.
More info and booking details here.
Clonakilty Distillery, Co. Cork
In the far reaches of Ireland’s south, family-owned Clonakilty is known for its maritime-influenced whiskies. Heritage barley is grown on its own farm and barrels are carefully aged in a coastal warehouse licked by sea-salted winds. Even though the distillery only opened to the public in 2018, it’s already quite the destination. There’s a shop, make-your-own-gin sessions and a restaurant called The Whale’s Tail, dishing up burgers and salt cod fishcakes. But best of all? They run evening tours, so you can go sipping right before your dinner.
More info and booking details here.
Tullamore Dew, Co. Offaly
Now here’s one to get excited about! Best-selling brand Tullamore Dew is getting a shiny new tasting experience, set to open this August in the Irish Midlands. Details are still thin on the ground – watch this space – but expect visits to feature plenty of pours of their honey-hued spirit made with all-Irish grain, and ranging from the smooth original bottling to quirky finishes in ex-cider and XO Caribbean rum casks.
More info and booking details here.
Pearse Lyons, Dublin
It’s not the setting you’d expect from a distillery squirrelled away inside a former church, but indie, family-owned Pearse Lyons in Dublin’s historic Liberties neighbourhood is exactly that, down to the stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. Pews have been swapped for shiny copper stills and hourly tasting tours will take you through the history of the building, neighbouring graveyard and distillery. A food and whiskey pairing experience is on tap if you feel like an extra treat.
More info and booking details here.
Sliabh Liag, Co. Donegal
Here’s one to add to your watch list. Sliabh Liag Distillers, in the country’s far northwest, is County Donegal’s first legal distillery in 175 years. And when its new distillery opens this autumn in Ardara on Ireland’s scenic Wild Atlantic Way, you’ll be able to join tours taking you through the production history of Irish whiskey, gin and poitín. Of course, due to ageing requirements the whiskey won’t be ready for a while, but while you wait, sample Sliabh Liag’s sublime range of gins, infused with Irish seaweed.
More info and booking details here.
Looking for more places to visit? Then how about checking out The Best Scotch Whisky Distillery Tours or if it’s more whisky information you are after then you'll find plenty here!