
I heard about whiskey at least once a day during my two-week jaunt across the Emerald Isle.
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On day three, it became apparent that whiskey is a lot more than a spirit to the Irish.
It’s also a source of pride and identity—similar to how Polish and Russians feel about vodka. Like vodka, whiskey is tied to social customs, history, traditions, and even national identity.
The word whiskey comes from the Irish uisce beatha, which translates to ‘water of life’. It was first brewed by monks who returned from the Mediterranean with a keen knowledge of distillation.
The first mention of whiskey comes from the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which was written in 1405. In reality, whiskey had likely already been around for a few hundred years.
Over the next centuries, whiskey production was closely tied to Ireland’s economy and cultural standing. It’s also been a hero of the island’s cultural renaissance, which took off following Ireland’s independence from Britain in 1921.
In short, to know whiskey is to know a deep part of Ireland, and one that is internationally recognized—whether or not you like to drink.
Part of the proof of Ireland’s great respect for whiskey is its standing in the US. As immigrants arrived from Ireland (and Scotland), they brought along their appreciation for barley and distillation, creating delectable offshoots like bourbon whiskey. (We even had a whiskey rebellion, y’all!)
But forget about the US for a moment—I want to focus on the Motherland of Whiskey. If you’re heading to Ireland anytime soon, I’d highly suggest touring a popular distillery. You can find them all around the island.
Best distilleries in Ireland
Midleton Distillery Experience, County Cork

If you’ll be passing through Cork, don’t skip the Midleton Distillery Experience. While you can take a Jameson Distillery tour in Dublin, you won’t actually get to see a working distillery.
At Midleton, you can explore where Jameson whiskey is brewed. You can also explore the Old Midleton Distillery, which was in operation throughout the 1800s until 1975.
That’s a pretty fine balance if you ask me. The tour explores the history of whiskey in Ireland, operations at the old distillery, and how modern whiskey is made. Uniquely, Midleton produces whiskey for Jameson and other brands like The Spot Whiskeys, Redbreast, Powers, and more.
The Teeling Whiskey Distillery, County Dublin

If you want to dig into Dublin distilling, I vote you skip the well-known Jameson tour for the Teeling Whiskey Distillery experience. (Or do both if you have time!)
Teeling is located in the Liberties, right in the heart of Dublin, and is one of the country’s newest large-scale distilleries, having opened its doors in 2015.
That might make it seem like this distillery is way too green to offer a solid whiskey tour—especially given the historical relevance of the drink. That being said, it has near-perfect ratings (I’m talking five stars with over 5,000 reviews on TripAdvisor) thanks to the tour’s scope and its passionate guides.
You’ll learn about the history of whiskey, the history of the distillery, and get to sample local whiskeys, other drinks, and traditional snacks.
Rademon Estate Distillery, County Down

Rademon Estate Distillery offers a strong historical tilt. The Rademon Estate was built back in 1667 and still covers the same massive 500-acre plot. Only 18 miles south of Belfast, it won’t take you long to reach the grounds.
You can expect a more intimate experience here, one that focuses in on the scientific elements of distillation. The company produces small-batch whiskies and gins and is fully operational, meaning tours need to be booked ahead of time.
You’ll get to take a closer look at a highly dedicated tinkering with a refined process that uses local ingredients. Plus, a gorgeous, rural setting.
Micil Distillery, County Galway

Once again, we have a multi-product distillery at Micil Distillery. In addition to whiskey, this family-owned company also distills poitín, gin, and cream.
Though the distillery is younger than Teeling (it opened in 2016), the family business started back in 1848 when the family patriarch started distilling his own poitín.
You can expect an in-depth tour that covers the history and distillation practices for the drinks listed above—one that has a casual, friendly atmosphere. You can even take home your own cask of whiskey that’s been slowly aging on the grounds.
Old Bushmills Distillery Tour, County Antrim

Last but not least, we have the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. Old Bushmills Distillery dates back to 1608—only two centuries after the first officially recorded mention of whiskey on the island.
Unsurprisingly, the tour digs deep into the distillery’s history, along with the cultural context of the spirit.
The coup de grace is the whiskey sampling portion of the tour, which lets you taste some of the top whiskeys at Old Bushmills. That means you’re getting a taste of whiskey as it’s been made in Ireland for over four hundred years.