With demand for Irish whiskey soaring worldwide there is a major distilling revival underway around the Emerald Isle, which means an explosion of flavours can be found both in the historic distilleries of the venerable old Irish brands and in a wave of newcomer establishments.
Travel might be at a standstill right now, but that needn’t stop you charting a route through the best whiskey experiences on the island of Ireland.
There would be no better place to start than Jameson, the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey. Its
Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Dublin has scooped the prestigious title of World’s Leading Distillery Tour for the last three years in a row.
The excellent experiences and tastings on offer here can include a full tour of the Bow Street Distillery, as well as a premium whiskey tasting of four Jameson blends, cocktail making and whiskey blending masterclasses all hosted by friendly Jameson ambassadors. You can also take an extended tour of the Jameson Distillery in
Midleton, County Cork to gain insights into the history, production, stories and enjoyment of this famous Irish whiskey.
Another true Irish icon is
Bushmills, made at the world’s oldest licenced working distillery in County Antrim, on Northern Ireland’s beautiful Causeway Coastal Route. The experiences here encompass guided tours around the working distillery with all the associated sights and smells, plus tutored whiskey tastings, a specialist whiskey shop and a well-stocked gift shop with exclusive Bushmills merchandise.
The
Kilbeggan Distillery Experience in County Westmeath, perfectly representative of the classic age of Irish whiskey, also makes for an excellent stop on any itinerary in Ireland. In addition to its daily tours, it has a wonderful series of special experiences aimed at Irish whiskey connoisseurs.
Besides the centuries-old favourites, the new arrivals to the Irish whiskey scene keep coming. Among them are four in the Liberties area of Dublin alone –
Teeling, Pearse Lyons, Dublin Liberties and
Roe & Co – which would make a stand-alone day of fantastic whiskey experiences on their own.
Other recent arrivals include the
Dingle Whiskey Distillery in County Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way,
Slane Distillery in County Meath and the
Echlinville Distillery in County Down, which offers insights into the workings of Northern Ireland’s first newly licensed distillery for over 125 years.
A new sensory journey through the
Tullamore Distillery in Tullamore, County Offaly, home to the classic Tullamore D.E.W. brand is also being planned to be ready from the summer of 2021.
There is much more malt magic to be explored, so lining up a future trip see, touch and taste some of the distilleries where Ireland’s ‘water of life’ is made is a must.
In the meantime, why not pour yourself a glass on International Whisk(e)y Day and make a toast to the legend that is Irish whiskey… with an ‘e’.
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