Drink up the History!

There’s more to whiskey than just a good time! The Old Jameson Distillery is a beautiful historic landmark with one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.   The distillery tour takes place at the original location built in 1790 by John Jameson, which was the main production facility until the 1970s when production moved to Midleton, County Cork, which is also a historic site.   The landmark now stands as a beautifully renovated piece of history and heritage.   Entering on Bow Street, visitors are welcomed with old Dublin scenery of cobblestone and a very narrow, winding road.   The facility itself has remnants of its original structure, but stands as a modern facility refurbished with hard wood floors and chandeliers in the reception area and bar.

Our tour guide, Niall, was not only well versed in the history of Jameson whiskey, but knew the biology behind production, spoke multiple languages (including Dutch, German and Italian), was enthusiastic, friendly and funny.   The tour begins with a short film that is both informative and entertaining, and then visitors are taken through the process of distillation, which is a lot more interesting and complex than one might think!  After going through the stages of production, a few lucky volunteers have the chance to taste test whiskeys at the end of the tour, comparing the best-selling Scottish and American brands with Jameson itself.  All visitors are given a complimentary Jameson at the tour’s culmination, which definitely tastes better after knowing how it was made!

The Old Jameson Distillery offers rates for parties of 15 or more as well as family rates (two children and two adults), and operates tours every 25 minutes.

Book your flight to Dublin for a tipsy tour of Jameson history!

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photo: Amy Wiener