Ireland? Scotland? We often wonder which of the two is THE country of Whisky? Even if the versions diverge, especially concerning the dates, and even if today Scotland is famous for being the country of Whisky, it would turn out that it was in Ireland that this drink was invented. The country has many distilleries, including the Dublin region, which is home to some of the most prestigious.
We will see, in this article, the different distilleries in Dublin, the possible visits, the prices and the differences. Dublin's flagship distilleries, the Jameson and Teeling distilleries, welcome thousands of tourists every year, whiskey lovers or not, and introduce them to the history and secrets of the making of this precious beverage.
Remember, alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health
Which distillery to visit in Dublin?- Dublin and Whiskey
- Dublin Distilleries
- My opinion: Which distillery to visit?
Visits to the Jameson and Telling distilleries are included in the Dublin city pass. You can also book them separately by clicking here for Jameson Distillery or here for Teeling Distillery.
Let's start this article with a brief summary of the history of Whiskey in Ireland before reviewing the different distilleries in the city. At the end of the article, I will give you my opinion on which distillery to visit in Dublin.
Ireland and Whiskey
The history between whiskey and Ireland goes back many centuries. Legend has it that it was Saint Patrick, back from Egypt, who brought the very first still to Ireland. In reality, it was the Irish monks, returning from the Holy Land, who would have brought back this still. Initially planned to distil perfume, it is finally brandy that they will end up distilling, around the XNUMXth century.
The creation of stills is attributed to the Persians, around the XNUMXth century. It was not until the XNUMXth century that monks traveled across Europe and made known the distillation of brandy, especially in Scotland.
The first mentions of Whiskey only come in the XNUMXth century. This is where the history of Whiskey really begins, but the dates differ as to the real invention of whisky. Some versions mention Scotland, others Ireland. It would actually turn out that it is the dates that sow confusion as to the true inventor of whiskey.
It was at the end of the 1851th century and the beginning of the 500th century that the production of Irish whiskey exploded. It is sold in particular in England but especially in Ireland where the consumption of alcohol is considered to be far too high and the pubs far too numerous. Dublin then had XNUMX pubs when a commission responsible for regulating consumption in the country recommended XNUMX.
At the end of the XNUMXth century, the whiskey industry crumbled due to a movement advocating abstinence from alcohol that grew across the country.
In addition, new distillation methods and the rise of a new alcohol, Gin, led to the closure of a large number of distilleries in the country.
Whiskey or Whiskey?
When we speak of Irish whiskey, we must then speak of whiskey (with an e before the y). This addition of the "e" was put in place by the Irish distillery lobby to differentiate genuine Irish whiskey from other whiskeys, especially Scotch.
In the 4th century, the production of Irish whiskey continued to decline. There are only XNUMX distilleries left after the Second World War: Bushmills, Cork Distillery, Jameson and Power's. These will merge over the decades to form a single group producing all of its whiskey in the huge Midleton distillery.
Dublin's historic Jameson Distillery closes and is turned into a museum. We will come back to this a little later in this article.
Irish Whiskey ?
To be officially called "Irish Whiskey", the whiskey must be at least three years old and have spent a day in wooden barrels on the island of Ireland.
At the beginning of the 31st century, several new distilleries were born throughout the island of Ireland. They are currently XNUMX producing whiskey in Ireland.
Dublin has 4 distilleries:
- Teeling
- Pearse Lyons
- Liberties
- Roe & Co
Dublin Distilleries
Let's get to the heart of the matter by browsing the different distilleries in Dublin. You will see that if you are interested in Irish whiskey, other visits will be worth doing, such as the Irish whiskey museum.
Which distillery to visit in Dublin?- Jameson Distillery
- Distillerie Teeling
- Distillerie Pearse Lyons
- Distillerie Liberties
- Distillerie Roe & Co
- Irish Whiskey Museum
Jameson Distillery
First stop on our Dublin distilleries tour, a distillery that isn't really a distillery anymore. Indeed, the Jameson Distillery in Bow Street is now just a museum. The distillery ceased to operate in 1971. Historic whiskey brand Jameson, now makes its whiskey at the massive Midleton Distillery at the new midleton distillery.
Jameson is an iconic brand of whiskey, created in 1780 and which has greatly contributed to the reputation of Irish whiskey. The brand is today one of the most famous brands of Irish Whiskey.
Just like the Guinness Storehouse, the visit begins outside the premises, as soon as you arrive in the Smithfield district, the city's former industrial district, now completely rehabilitated.
Head to Smithfield Square to start the tour, but before heading down the narrow lane that takes you to the tour location, take a short walk to Smithfield Village.
The entrance to the Jameson Distillery Bowl Street museum is located in the middle of what was, a few decades earlier, the Jameson factory. Today most of the buildings house homes, but the owners of the premises have kept one of the main rooms to transform it into a museum and the result is stunning.
In front of the entrance, outside the museum, you can contemplate a first still of an impressive size, telling you that you are in the right place.
The ground floor has been rehabilitated into a bar, a place where you can have a drink, offered during the visit. The decoration of the bar is impressive, it has been done with taste and combines modernity and testimonies of the past. You can still see a beam partially burned during a fire that ravaged the building.
Also on the ground floor are the ticket office and the shop.
A visit to the Jameson distillery is one of the essentials of a stay in Dublin. Along with the Guinness Storehouse, visiting the Jameson Distillery is one of the city's most popular activities. You can book your Jameson Distillery tour by clicking here.
The visit begins, strictly speaking, at level 1. You will discover a chronological frieze retracing the history of the Jameson distillery and its founder, John Jameson.
A few moments later, it's time for the guided tour. Indeed, the visit of the Jameson distillery is obligatorily guided and it is a good thing.
The visit is divided into several stages, the first will aim to tell you the history of the distillery and more generally of Irish Whiskey. Note that the visit is interactive and entirely staged thanks to animations and videos. This adds a magical side to the visit.
After the history of the distillery, we get to the heart of the matter, by tackling the manufacturing processes of Whiskey.
You will discover, always in an interactive form, the various stages of elaboration of the precious beverage.
The tour ends with a tasting of different Whiskeys, not just Jameson, not just Irish whiskey. Indeed the tasting is closer to a course that will teach you to make the differences between the different types of whiskey.
If you want to know more about this city pass, we have written a specific article to present it to you in detail: City pass Dublin: prices, visits and practical advice.
Distillerie Teeling
After having presented you with one of Dublin's flagship visits, here is a second one that deserves your full attention. This is the Teeling distillery. The latter is located in the Liberties district, like many distilleries in Dublin. Unlike the visit to the Jameson distillery, the Teeling distillery opens the doors of its production plant to you. This distillery is the first "new distillery" to be established in Dublin for 125 years. Initially founded in 1872 by Walter Teeling, it enjoyed great success until the end of the 2015th century. It was in XNUMX that his descendants decided to pay tribute to this family history and opened this new distillery.
Visit Dublin's first 'new distillery' and learn how whiskey is made. Your choice of a Tasting visit including the tasting of a whiskey and a cocktail; or a Trinidad visit including the tasting of 3 whiskeys. Book your Teeling Distillery tour online.
The visit begins with an exhibition presenting the history of this distillery over the centuries as well as the history of this popular drink. You will then take the direction of the production site accompanied by your guide. The visits are in English but the explanatory documentation given at the entrance is available in French.
This production site is really interesting. Certainly not very big, but you will be able to observe the different vats and the magnificent stills! Getting a little closer, you can even see the inside of some vats with the whiskey being produced at various stages.
The visit then continues with the presentation of the following stages: maturation, storage, … And of course, a last important stage which is the tasting.
Distillerie Pearse Lyons
Now that you know a little more about Dublin's two essential whiskey-related visits, I suggest you move on to the presentation of distilleries that are a little less important, but which are just as worth a visit. Let's start with the prestigious Pearse Lyons distillery. The latter has the particularity of being located in an old church, in the heart of the Liberties district.
For the record, it was during the year 2013 that this church took a new turn. Built in the middle of the 1963th century, it was in XNUMX that the cults ended for lack of parishioners. Before becoming the distillery we know today, it hosted a few shops and stores.
But let's come back to the history of this distillery and above all, why this location in a church. It is necessary to be interested in the founders of this distillery: Pearse and Deirdre Lyons. This couple already owned a whiskey distillery in the United States in Kentucky, when they also wanted to set up in Dublin. After some research, it was in this old church located in St James that the Lyons decided to set up their new distillery. This link was not chosen at random, since it is here that Pearse Lyons' grandfather is buried. A story of family and passion for Irish whiskey which led to some work in this building and gave rise to the distillery that we present to you here.
Regarding the visit itself, you will have the choice between different options:
- Trilogy Tour and Tasting Experience: This is a guided tour including 3 whiskey tastings
- Signature tour and tasting experience: for this guided tour, you will be able to taste 4 whiskeys
- Heritage tour and tasting experience: this last guided tour has some great surprises in store for you with a tasting of 5 whiskeys, including a limited edition
All visits also include a visit to the cemetery, with a presentation of the history of this church, as well as a visit to the distillery with explanations of the production of this famous drink.
Note that this visit was awarded the prize for “Best Dublin Visitor Experience 2019”! A very nice distinction for this young distillery which perfectly combines history and love for whiskey.
Distillerie Liberties
Let's continue now with this other Dublin distillery which is also located in the Liberties district, a real new center of whiskey production. The latter has moved into an old building dating from the 1700s. You will therefore be able to rediscover the soul of this historic district, which was very industrial and tumultuous for a few decades. The building currently occupied by the Liberties distillery was once an old mill, then a tannery which mainly made rabbit skins, before becoming a whiskey factory.
Opened very recently, in 2019, the whiskey requires a few years of maturation. We will therefore have to wait a little longer to be able to taste the house beverage.
Two visits will be offered: a “discovery” visit and an “explore” visit for the most whiskey connoisseurs.
Book online and easily your "discovery" visit to the Liberties Distillery including a welcome drink and a tasting: "discovery" visit.
Distillerie Roe & Co
The last distillery to visit in Dublin is also the one that opened most recently: the Roe & Co. Distillery. In fact, the latter was one of the oldest in the city and one of the most important. Formerly the Georges Roe & Co distillery, it contributed to the development of the famous Irish whiskey during the 1926th century. Due to its location, opposite the Guinness factory, this distillery and the brewery were among the best known manufacturers in their field in the heart of Dublin. Closed in XNUMX, only a windmill and a pear tree remained. Thanks to the opening of this new distillery, it is a great tribute that is paid to this monument of Irish whiskey and its history.
In addition to offering a tasting with the guided tour, you can also try a cocktail made by the bartenders of the Power House Bar.
Book online and easily your visit to the Roe & Co Distillery including a tasting and a cocktail: guided tour.
Irish Whiskey Museum
To conclude, we offer you here a visit which is not strictly speaking a distillery. This is the Irish Whiskey Museum. As you might expect, this museum is dedicated to whiskey produced in Ireland. Located opposite the famous Trinity College, this museum is ideally placed.
During your guided tour, you will discover a unique experience that will allow you to learn more about the history of the real Irish whiskey, from its glory days to the darkest times, until its current renaissance.
Different options are available to you to visit this place: a classic visit including the one-hour guided tour and the tasting of 3 whiskeys; a premium tour that adds a fourth whiskey to the tasting; and an experience for the most passionate with a 1h30 visit, the tasting of 4 whiskeys and an introduction to whiskey making.
To find out more and book your visit online, you can go directly to the Irish Whiskey Museum website.
My opinion: Which distillery to visit in Dublin?
Now let's move on to the main question addressed by this article: Which distillery(ies) to visit in Dublin?
For me, the visit to the Jameson distillery seems essential for many reasons. First of all, the site where this old distillery is located bears witness to the past. Although restored, the site has been preserved and one can easily soak up the atmosphere that must have reigned there several centuries ago.
Even if the manufacturing site has been moved, the visit is no less interesting. You have to see the visit to this distillery as a visit to a museum rather than a real distillery.
In addition to Jameson, I strongly recommend visiting a “real” distillery like Teeling, the most famous; or that of Pearse Lyons, which took place inside a church.
Finally, a trip to the Irish Whiskey Museum can also be a very good idea.
