Visitors looking for an immersive whiskey tasting experience will get it when they take the new Midleton Distillery Experience in County Cork.
The rebranded experience at the popular attraction outside Cork City introduces visitors to the Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers, The Spot Whiskeys, Method and Madness, and Knappogue Castle brands of whiskey that are owned and managed by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard.
Jameson is by far the best-selling Irish whiskey around the world, with sales in over 130 countries.
The Midleton Distillery Experience opening a few months ago was very much a celebratory occasion given that the building was severely water-damaged after the effects of Storm Babet in September 2023.
The new Midleton Distillery Experience Visitor Centre has a definite 21st-century feel to it.
It offers new whiskey tours and experiences in a space that contains an immersive auditorium, interactive screens and ceiling-high displays throughout, in addition to a bar, café, and of course opportunities for shopping.
Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at the Midleton distillery operation, getting access to the cooperage, the distiller’s cottage and maturation warehouse, and see the world's largest copper pot still.
A new experience on offer is the Midleton Cocktail Class, where visitors will have the opportunity to make seasonal, curated cocktails, guided by a Midleton mixologist.
The multi-million-euro revamp is sure to attract lots of visitors in 2025 when the distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary.
In 1825, James, Daniel and Jeremiah Murphy converted an old woolen mill on an 8-acre site into what is now known as the Old Midleton Distillery.
Some say the Murphy brothers exploited the 1823 Excise Act, which sought to address the rampant illicit whiskey trade at the time and establish a legal and regulated framework for the production and distribution.
By 1830, it was producing 400,000 gallons of whiskey each year, with at least 200 men employed in the distillery. It officially closed in 1975.
In 1966, the Cork Distillers Company, a group of local distilleries, including the Murphy brothers' business, joined with their city rivals, John Jameson & Son and John Power & Son, forming the Irish Distilleries Group.
Other Whiskey Distilleries in the South/Southwest Region
Visitors who are touring Counties Cork and Kerry might want to visit or at least taste some of the other favorite whiskey brands in the region.
They include Skellig Six18 in Cahirciveen, the only working distillery on The Ring of Kerry.
The name was inspired by the 618 steps that visitors must climb to get to the top of the iconic Skellig Michael.
In County Cork, West Cork Distillers can be purchased on the official distillery website and in the Dublin and Cork airport duty free shops. No tours are available at this time.
The Clonakilty Distillery makes whiskey, gin and vodka. Visitor tours are available.
These distilleries do not produce whiskey, but some visitors may be interested in finding out more: The Rebel City Distillery, the home of Maharani Gin and Ireland's only Absinthe and The Kinsale Mead Co., located in the town of Kinsale and known for its production of mead.