Whiskey Lovers Discover Ireland
There are all sorts of reasons Road Trips Foodies should plan a ramble in Ireland, but it’s especially enticing for a certain category of afficionados. There has been a flurry of developments in Irish Whiskey over the past number of months tempting whiskey lovers into carving an exciting trail across Ireland sampling what the distilleries have to offer. For example, Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent Whiskey distiller, was recently named European Distiller of the Year for the second year running at the 2009 International Wine and Spirit Competition Awards held in London. This year, Cooley Distillery, based in Co. Louth, eclipsed its 2008 IWSC medal haul with a record 10 gold medals and nine Best in Class awards securing the European Distiller of the Year award in the process and cementing their place as one of Ireland’s premier whiskey producers.
Meanwhile in the south of the country, details of Ireland’s newest distillery have been generating excitement among the industry and whiskey-lovers. The Dingle Whiskey Distillery is the newest venture of PorterHouse bars and brewery founder, Oliver Hughes and local Kerry businessman Jerry O’Sullivan. It’s the first distillery to open in Ireland in the last 200 years!
The Cork and Kerry regions have a rich tradition in producing a huge array of whiskeys. Visitors can still explore distilleries, taste the outputs and chat with the producers offering an unforgettable experience. For more information on plotting a whiskey trail across the Ireland, start here. To check out tourism possibilities on the Emerald Isle, go to Discover Ireland.
