Whiskey and Guinness are intertwined in the culture of Ireland. There’s some push back from the Scots as to who invented the distilling process that gives us whiskey, but the earliest mention of a distilled spirit shows up in a 1405 Irish manuscript. It doesn’t show up in literature from Scotland until 1494.

Arthur Guinness began his brewery operations at St. James Gate in Dublin in 1759 and produced Guinness Beer under the label of Guinness Brewery in 1799.

Now there’s plenty of things to do and see in Ireland and Dublin even if your favorite libation isn’t beer or whiskey. GetAway Travel can plan you a visit to the Emerald Isle that includes as much or as little alcohol touring as you want. And if you want to start out in Northern Ireland, we can make that happen.

“What whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for”

 What’s the buzz about Irish Whiskey?

It’s triple distilled so it is smoother than other whiskeys and its matured for at least three years. Remember to drink your grown-up whiskey like you’re a resident of the country. You can put one ice cube in it, and you order it in a pub as a “pint and a drop.” So you drink it a sip at a time with a beer or an ale. You do not guzzle, chug or shoot Irish Whiskey. We’re not sure, but we believe you could be facing severe consequences if you try that at a pub. It is probably as bad as cheering for the wrong Gaelic football team. Like, if the locals are all wearing red and blue, don’t cheer for the team wearing yellow.

Let’s do a quick overview of some of the country’s whiskeys. Bushmills and Jameson are the top brands with Jameson carrying the edge and referred to more often as a “national treasure.” Bushmills is actually the oldest licensed distillery in the country starting operations in 1608.

Experts describe the taste of Bushmills as having notes of vanilla, cinnamon and honey. They describe the aroma as grassy with a waft of Granny Smith apple. Some describe Jamesons as sweet, some say spicy. It is aged in old sherry and bourbon casks and has notes of spice, nuts and vanilla.

Redbreast is described as a “Christmas whiskey” because it has notes of marzipan and it also has flavors of buttery pears, oak, warm holiday spices, caramel and vanilla. Teeling, a small batch whiskey, has spice, caramelized sugar, and vanilla notes with a hint of raisin. It is aged in bourbon casks after spending some time hanging out in rum casks. Tullamore D.E.W is described as citrus forward with lemon, spice and slight smoky notes.

A fun fact for your next trivia night: Jameson and Redbreast are owned by a French company. In 1988 Pernod Ricard, the company that brings you Absolute and Chivas Regal, bought Irish Distillers which used to own the two whiskey companies.

Let’s do a whiskey stop

 A number of the top whiskey distillers have a presence in Dublin. Bushmills is distilled in County Antrim along the River Bush and Redbreast is made in Middleton in County Cork. That would be a day-trip away from Dublin and well worth it for whiskey aficionados.

Kinbane Castle in County Antrim

The Jameson Bow Street Distillery in Dublin no longer makes Jameson, but you can pick from a selection of tours there that takes you from grain to glass, teaches you to make cocktails, teaches you how to blend whiskey and lets you try your hand at premium whiskey tasting.

There’s great merchandise at the gift shop and you can enjoy a complimentary Jamesons at the center bar even if you don’t take a tour. The on-site museum re-creates the old factory.

Here, as well as at the other distillers, there is a limited selection of whiskeys to purchase. Visitors are encouraged to make their purchases at nearby liquor stores or at the duty-free shop in the airport.

Teeling Distillery is the first new whiskey producer in the city in 125 years. You can take a tour and taste and buy whiskey here. Pearse Lyons Distillery is also a small batch producer and it is located in the former St. James Church. As a bonus, you can tour the graveyard next door. Dublin Liberties Distillery is in a 400-year-old former mill and tannery.

To learn about all things Irish Whiskey, visit the Irish Whiskey Museum on Grafton Street.

Guinness, Ireland’s national drink

 For 250 years the dark stout renowned around the world has been brewed with loving, painstaking care at St. James’ Gate Brewery in Dublin. Initially built as a fermentation plant, it was transformed into the seven-floor Guinness Storehouse in 2000 and opened to the general public.

The seven floors surround a giant glass atrium styled to look like a pint glass of Guinness. There are exhibits on ingredients, processing equipment and old brewery machinery. There are storage and transport exhibits. Guinness was once transported in barrels on barges that used traversed the River Liffey.

The Gravity Bar perched atop the storehouse is where you can have a pint and enjoy 360-degree views of the city.

Touring the storehouse is a don’t-miss opportunity. Haven’t tried Guinness? Experts describe it like this: “The aroma has a sweet, dark fruit character. The roasted malt gives it an almost coffee flavor and the taste carries hints of cherry, raisin and a subtle, sweet vanilla.”

Taking a sip first gives you an impression of smooth cream, and then there’s a tang of malt and then a bit of a bitter back taste like coffee.

Most people agree Guinness tastes better in the homeland. Irish pub employees are taught the specific two-part pour to allow the nitrogen bubbles to settle and then create the perfect creamy head. Guinness is fresher, too. Fun fact for the health conscious — Guinness contains more fiber than other beers and also has a lower alcohol content. Drink up, it’s healthy!

So in preparation for your trip — Sláinte is pronounced: Slawn (like lawn with an S) — Cha (like cha-cha). Also in preparation for your trip, give GetAway Travel a call and we will do the heavy lifting of planning and scheduling.  Reach us at:  (262) 538-2140, e-mail: sue@getaway.travel or paul@getaway.travel