Whiskey & Gin travel & Explore

&TRAVEL EXPLORE

Teeling Distillery

Pearse Lyons Distillery

Jameson Distillery

Dublin Liberties Distillery The summer might be long gone and the winter upon us, so instead of staying home with a nice glass by the fire, get out and check out one of Ireland’s many new distilleries. Never forget we have a well-deserved reputation for making some of the best whiskey in the world.

You may remind me that we have strict drink driving laws; but there are many trips you can make, using public transport. Plus, not all trips require a hotel, just time. With a DIY trip, you know how much time you can give.

Where to start. First off, check out the nearest distillery to you, support your neighbours; trust me, in the whiskey world, it takes years before you really make much money. A well-known businessman once told me that if I wish to make money from having my own distillery, I must first have a lot of money to make a little. Never forget, it’s not whiskey until it steps out of the barrel at the age of three (years), most would ideally keep it in wood a little longer for it to mellow and grow. Hence many, but not all of these distilleries, also make gin. Number one reason, to keep the accountant happy, make gin today and you can sell it tomorrow. Gin is supporting whiskey.

Over the last ten years Dublin has become a bit of a whiskey haven and we now have a Whiskey Quarter. Dublin City now boasts five distilleries in the city centre plus several excellent whiskey pubs are dotted across the city, some with good fare too.

To see it all would certainly take time but visiting one or two might work well for an afternoon outing. Teelings Distillery is a mere 170-meters (door to door) from The Dublin Liberties Distillery and it’s just another 350-meters to enjoy John Fallon’s “The Capstan Bar”; a good spot for a whiskey.

Both distilleries have great but very different tours. Having taken both tours, I can say that you will see two very different distilleries but both have the same wish; to make great whiskey although their personalities are very different.

If you decide to make more of a weekend of it, you can stroll further up to Roe & Co on James Street, which is 280-meters away from Pearse Lyons Distillery. Again, two more distilleries, both different to each other and their neighbours. Pearse Lyons distillery is housed in a church and has a long family history; great care has been taken by Pearse Lyons to show respect to the past and future. Pearse, who has since passed, had family in unmarked graves on the site.

Roe & Co is a revival and uses the old Powers Distillery Powerhouse, to house their sparkling, modern and attractive distillery. Before you leave the city, pop across the river to Smithfield to the old Jameson distillery. The distillery received an intense makeover a few years ago and is now very experienced led, sensory and quite a bit of fun, with onsite tours, cocktail classes, or perhaps you’d like to blend your very own whiskey; I did and it was so much fun. The bonus of Jameson is that they are only a short walk to one of the whiskey community’s favourite kitchens and pub; L. Mulligan Grocer of Stoneybatter. You will be spoilt for choice.

Or head west to Galway City, a city where the craic is always good no matter what your plans are. This time gin is king although whiskey is quietly laying down and awaiting its moment plus Galway has not one but two gin schools too. Tribe gin school is what happened when four friends decided to take their ideas into the real world; covid gave them the time to set it all in motion. Galway City Gin also has a school, which was aided by Listoke Gin School in County Louth.

Micil distillery hosts tours and cocktail classes and all three are on a pretty straight line across the city, perhaps a wee bit more walking involved here or a quick taxi.

Galway also prizes its curated whiskey trail around the city, made up of qualified whiskey pubs and all are worth a visit. Sonny Molloy’s has an impressive collection of both whiskey and gin. Whiskey starts at €5.70 right up to €1,005 a glass (Midelton Pearl) They also have a couple of gin and whiskey flights (tasting platters). We have around forty distilleries across this fair emerald isle, with a couple more in planning. Which considering we had only four distilleries ten years ago, shows our spirits are prized, so check them out. There really has to be one close or coming close to you.

Sláinte