wcw JANUARY 2024

travel feature
Irish Whiskey continued
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and natives. One couple
brought their toddler who
got a tiny bit fussy, but
wasn’t quelled with a sip.
They offer a sample after
your tour and you can
hang around and enjoy
the atmosphere or buy
gifts like candy which has,
guess what, Jameson whiskey in the
ingredients.
This part of Dublin is less photogenic,
but it also retains its rough 18th century
vibe. Nearby is the Guinness factory
which is also an enjoyable tour,
but don’t dilute that great whiskey
taste with beer.
A distillery experience of a different
type was at Roe & Co, also in the area.
They’re new by comparison in their
new home, an old power plant, but as
George Roe & Co (in another location)
they helped build the golden era of
Irish whiskey in the 19th century.
The tour we were on, unlike the one at
Jameson’s, takes you through a working
distillery where you walk past
various vats and learn how whiskey is
made. Different, too, was the tasting
which was a class on cocktail making.
There’s a teachable moment just like
at Jameson’s where you learn the basic
tastes such as sweet, sour, sweet,
etc. and how to make cocktails according
to your personal preferences.
Then we suited up (apron on) and
channeled Tom cruise in cocktail and
made a concoction to our own preferences.
I opted for a lemony version of
a whiskey sour.
These were two very different distillery
experiences, but both complemented
each other well. If you’re staying
in the city centre ( downtown Dublin)
it’s a 30 plus minute walk which
includes a walk over the river Liffy. By
taxi, it’s 15 minutes and you don’t have
to worry if you overindulged in some
great tasting whiskey.
Irish Whiskey Ups and Downs
Although Ireland boasted at least 28
distilleries in the 1890s, by 1966 this
number had fallen to just two, and by
1972 the remaining distilleries, Bushmills
Distillery and Old Midleton Distillery
(replaced by New Midleton
Distillery), were owned by just one
company, Irish Distillers.
Since the 1990s, Irish whiskey has
seen a resurgence in popularity and
has been the fastest-growing spirit in
the world every year since 1990. With
exports growing by over 15% per annum,
existing distilleries have been
expanded and a number of new distilleries
constructed.
As of December 2019, Ireland had 32
distilleries in operation. Irish whiskey
was one of the earliest distilled
drinks in Europe, arising
around the 12th century.
It is believed that
Irish monks brought the
technique of distilling
perfumes back to Ireland
from their travels to
southern Europe around
1,000 AD.
Whiskey Tours
Today there is a resurgence of interest
in Irish Whiskey and the Thomas
Street area is once again becoming a
vibrant hub of brewing and distilling
in Dublin.
Roe & Co Distillery, Dublin
George Roe & Co helped build the
golden era of Irish whiskey in the 19th
century. Their old distillery at Thomas
Street in Dublin extended over 17
acres and they were Ireland’s largest
exporter of whiskey.
Their new distillery claims to be the
home of cocktail exploration and
modern Irish whiskey. There are two
tours you can do, each with a different
theme. If you’re a cocktail enthusiast
and blending whiskies is your thing,
you can discover the secrets of the art
of blending and enjoy an ‘Old Fashioned
Master Class.’
We tried the Flavors Experience cocktail
workshop which ‘unpacks the five
pillars of flavor – sweet, sour, bitter,
salty and umami – to help you understand
your unique palate and whiskey
preferences.’
There’s a tour of the distillery then
another drink before heading out.
More info and for a complete listing
of all tours, visit www.roeandco
whiskey.com
Jameson Bow St Distillery,
Dublin
Jameson Irish whiskey has been produced
in the Republic of Ireland since
1780. Made and matured in the iconic
Midleton distillery, over 20 million bottles
are sold globally every year, making
it the most popular Irish whiskey
in the world.
At the Jameson Bow St. distillery, you
can visit, take cocktail-making classes,
premium whiskey tasting sessions
or to learn how to blend your own
whiskey then top it off with a tipple at
their centerpiece bar. The basic tour
walks you through the building and
while you can see its stocky “bones”
you can also see the great way they
have modernized on top of them.
There’s also a great gift shop. Visit and
learn more at
www.jamesonwhiskey.com
You an find out more about the Whiskey
Trail as well as travel ideas and
tips at www.ireland.com
STORY: Louise Bruderle
28 WEST COAST WOMAN JANUARY 2024