Traveling as a whiskey fan can be quite daunting picking where you should go. You want to find those hidden gems, those amazing places that have Glencairns and great selection and good prices and maybe something interesting. Time is a commodity you don’t want to waste.

Dublin. A city split in two, with two cultures on either side of the river. Tourist traps, great times, amazing people, and a beautiful culture to behold. It can be difficult finding what you want. Multiple bars brag of 100+ whiskey selections, however can’t put enough sand together to have a Glencairn on hand.

I recently visited Dublin, and after much research and walking and having a great time (mostly sober) I compiled my list of places to stop in Dublin. This is by no means the definitive list of all the places you want to hit: Just the ones I enjoyed. If you feel I missed something, please comment below.

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Celtic Whiskey Shop – Website – 27-28 Dawson Street, Dublin 2

For a Canadian, seeing the above amazing selection, with the bottles in the open, and nicely stocked to boot, may be shocking. Unless you’re from Alberta. So I guess I should have added a trigger warning. Apologies.

The Celtic Whiskey shop is a must visit while within Dublin. Located across the street from the amazing St. Stephen’s Green, you’re going to be there anyway, so why not take a break and stop in to an epic shopping experience.

This shop boasts a collection of whiskey and amazing staff so great that you’ll be hard pressed to leave. Single bottlings abound in this shop, and without asking I was offered samples immediately upon speaking with the knowledgeable staff.

Have some non-whiskey fans with you? Don’t worry: There’s more. Beer, poitin, gin, wine, and other great selection is all there for them. My wife, a gin fan (let’s not hold that against her, she took the nice pictures), loved this shop, and was able to have all of her questions answered by the great staff.

Finally there’s an entire wall of samples. For those of you who love whisky but don’t know what you like yet, this is perfect, and took up a good amount of my time.

Check out some of the Celtic Cask when you’re there. This shop has it’s own independently bottled whiskey, and know what to ask for.

 

 

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L Mulligan Whiskey Shop – Website – 13 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2

Apologies for not taking pictures, we were in a bit of a rush while visiting. And my phone died. And the dog ate my homework.

None the less, you won’t hear too much about L Mulligan Whiskey shop, and I feel that’s not helping the whiskey community. While you may not have the insane selection of Celtic Whiskey shop, and not the different offerings, this shop is still quite nice. Competitive prices, whiskey focused, and great staff.

The main draw is their single cask offerings, some of which are specific to them and their bars only. Stop by for some great prices on Scotch as well, with some of the better pricing in Europe on some rare whiskies.

Finally it’s an overall comfortable, open space, which I feel they do quite well versus some other whiskey shops. They have opened it all up, and have nice couches for the non-whiskey fans who have all the patience for us nerds.

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The Dingle Whiskey Bar – Website – 45-47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2

Maybe you’re thinking: Hey, TOModera, I’m here to drink, not shop! Well then I have a great place for you. Located across from the Book of Kells, this tiny whiskey bar may escape your eyes on the first run past.

That would be a mistake. For me, this was the bar to visit in Dublin, and I made a pilgrimage there multiple times.

First off, the bartenders are on their game. I won’t lie: When I first walked in, I thought the well dressed bartender was there just due to their ability to look professional and make gin drinks. I was half correct, and I must apologize: The two bartenders I had knew their whiskies in and out. They could make recommendations and talk whisky of all sorts all day. They weren’t picked for their looks: They knew their shit and then some.

The selection is epic. Multiple single bottling whiskies, multiple tasting flights, and choices beyond Irish whiskey that will make even the most diehard bourbon and scotch fans excited. Heck, if you want a full dram of a whiskey you’re considering at the Celtic Whiskey shop above, this may be the most likely place to find it.

Prices are some of the best in Dublin as well. Not to mention they have tasting nights in which an expert walks through different whiskies from around the world.

Did I mention they also sell their own whiskey, made at Dingle distillery? Silly me for missing. One of the few places that will always be stocked with the newest whiskey and gin from Dingle, which I reviewed previously. It’s a work in progress.

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Palace Bar – Website – 21 Fleet St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Phone died and I lost any good pictures of Palace Bar.

However I’m here to tell you this: Believe the hype about Palace Bar. They have their own bottling of whisky. Their shelves include some of the best Middleton’s out there, as well as just about every single one Middleton Rare ever, with room for 20+ years of them in the future.

The staff have their own whiskey guru who can walk you through everything. The entire main room is calm, quiet, and perfect for reviewing whisky, enjoying a well made gin and tonic, or overall having a pint on a warm day (rare though they are in Dublin).

Listen, Temple Bar can be quite the gong show. However Palace Bar is the diamond in the Tourist Trap, and the main bar to visit when you’re in the area.

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Teeling Distillery – Website – 13-17 Newmarket, Dublin 8

Trust me, you should go to Teeling Distillery. I enjoyed it so much, I did an entire separate write up on it. Check it out.

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Jameson Distillery – Website – Bow St, Smithfield Village, Dublin 7

Well of course Jameson Distillery is on this list. I mean, they recently did renovations and now have a super interactive tour to go on. If you’re starting out on whiskey, it’s a lot of fun, and not too expensive. The tour guides know their information (though take some of the “tasting” information on Jack Daniel’s and Johnnie Walker Black with a grain of salt).

However I’m going to make a recommendation for the Whiskey Experts out there, so that you’re prepared.

Jameson does things a little different, on account of being so popular and well known. The standard tour walks you through the basics of how they make whiskey. And while you may learn something, for a lot of us, it’s a repeat of what we knew before. You won’t try anything special like the Distillery Exclusive or their cask strength Black Barrel on this tour.

For us, they have the higher end tours, the Whiskey makers, shakers, and tasters (which isn’t a tour but a tasting however that sentence was dope so I’m leaving it). This is standard with distillery tours, however here’s the difference: Normally distilleries will let you pay the lower end for your husband/wife if they aren’t into the “Premium” tour. Jameson does not.

So keep in mind you’ll be paying a nice premium for each non-whiskey fan. That said, these tours end up showing you some amazing parts of Jameson, allowing you to try whiskies drawn from the barrel or teach you bartending techniques, unique experiences.

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Irish Whiskey Museum – Website – 119 Grafton Street, Dublin 2

There’s always more to learn, and the tours at the Irish Whiskey museum is proof that if you think you know everything about whiskey, you’re wrong.

Dedicated to the entire history of Irish whiskey, this location is filled with straight shooters who will give you the full facts on all Irish whiskey. Interactive, cultural, and well funded, there’s a lot to learn here for whiskey fans and non-fans alike.

The tour isn’t connected to any distillery, doesn’t play favourites, and starts at the very, very beginning of Irish whiskey, and goes through the cultural, historical, and making impacts upon Ireland. The people there are real, fun, and able to speak their mind.

I should also note that the amount of picture opportunities here is probably the most of any whiskey nerd in Ireland. My wife certainly loved it for that.

That said, I have one thing to warn you about the Irish Whiskey Museum. In the next picture, you’ll see an amazing list of whiskeys.

Apologies if you tried to zoom in too much. Note there aren’t any prices. That’s because, while the museum has these adorning their walls, and could be the number one spot to stop for a dram, they can’t serve you any of it outside of pouring some in a coffee.

This may have changed by now. I’d recommend emailing them and seeing. Go for the tour, however don’t plan on staying for all the amazing whiskey afterward.

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There you have it folks! Where I’d go back to if I was suddenly in Dublin for a week and had time.

If I missed anything, or you feel that anything has changed, or you’d like to add your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you! What places would you go to?

Also: KEEP OFF THE FECKIN’ LADDER PEOPLE!