NORTHERN IRELAND Five distillery tours

Experience true craftmanship and gain an appreciation for the skills required to make world-renowned Irish spirits on a guided distillery tour

Northern Ireland has seen a renaissance in distilling in recent years, making it a fascinating destination for any whisky, gin or vodka fan. Across the country, a series of world-class producers are now blending traditional methods with innovative techniques to create new spirits, flavours and tasting tours — all while respecting Northern Ireland’s unique distilling history.

The Old Bushmills Distillery is one example. Using water drawn from the River Bush over beds of basalt rock, the 400-year-old distillery is the home of a craft passed through the generations and is listed as the oldest licensed whisky distillery in the world. We take a look at five other distilleries following their lead and redefining the spirits scene.

1 HINCH DISTILLERY, COUNTY DOWN

Located on the beautiful Killaney Estate in County Down, between Belfast and the town of Ballynahinch, from which it gets its name, Hinch Distillery is one of Northern Ireland’s youngest, having launched in late 2020. It specialises in triple-distilled whisky, inspired by centuries-old distilling traditions, with a range including smallbatch bourbon cask and peated single malt. The distillery is also renowned for producing the multi-award winning Ninth Wave Irish gin inspired by Irish mythology.

Hinch operates two informative and handson guided tours: the Classic tour, which offers tastings of the distillery’s two flagship whiskys, and the Premium tour, featuring tastings of an additional two. On top of this, there’s also a gin school experience where visitors can learn about recipe development, the necessary botanical ingredients, the distilling process and even how to design their own labels.

2 BOATYARD DISTILLERY, COUNTY FERMANAGH

Find the Boatyard Distillery on the banks of Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. This unique business is run from a disused boathouse — meaning visitors can arrive just as easily by boat as they can by car. Founded by Joe Mcgirr, the distillery is a family affair, with Joe’s brother Brian farming the botanicals, while his sister Marie writes the poetry on the labels. Focusing on premium craft spirits using sustainable practices, Boatyard’s range includes the signature juniper-led, 46% ABV Double Gin made with a double distilling method, as well as three additional gins and a vodka.

Each 90-minute tour includes a behindthe-scenes look at everything from distilling to labelling, with the history and origins of the distillery, plus the chance to label a 70cl bottle of Boatyard Double Gin. While in the area, don’t miss a trip on the Erne Water Taxi or a guided walking tour with the Enniskillen Taste Experience.

3 COPELAND DISTILLERY, COUNTY DOWN

After a successful crowdfunding project, Copeland Distillery opened its doors in 2019 with a vibrant range of gins and a mission to become Northern Ireland’s most innovative craft distillery. It introduced its first rums and whiskies in 2020, and is currently maturing malt and pot-stilled whiskys which will launch in 2024.

Though modern in its methods, Copeland is located near the historic harbour in Donaghadee, County Down, and shares the area’s rich maritime and distilling history through its products and tours. Listen out for the fascinating story of the Copeland Islands, which were used as a Viking trading post and as a smuggling point from Scotland.

4 ECHLINVILLE DISTILLERY, COUNTY DOWN

Northern Ireland’s first farm distillery, Echlinville has been at the forefront of the Irish spirits renaissance since it was established in 2012. Located on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, its tasting tour takes in the unique topography of the area and the workings of the farm, from provenance to growing, harvesting and visiting the beautiful copper stills.

Its products include Jawbox, a smallbatch gin with juniper and pine notes, and Bán Poitín, a rebellious brand of the Irish moonshine distilled from potato, malted barley and molasses. Echlinville is all about using slow distillation techniques to create complex character and delicate flavour.

5 RADEMON ESTATE, COUNTY DOWN

Founded a decade ago, the multi-award winning Rademon Estate is the birthplace of Shortcross Gin. Each bottle is created using foraged wild clover, elderflower, elderberries and water from the estate’s historic well, in homage to the surrounding forest. A notable highlight of the tour is the opportunity to create a personalised label and wax-dip the bottle by hand — a process the team does for every bottle. In 2021, Rademon launched its first whisky, the award-winning Shortcross Single Malt. They also hold virtual cocktail evenings, supper clubs and gin and jazz nights, while the tour covers the origins and history of gin and includes the chance to taste the entire range.

For more information on Northern Ireland’s top distilleries, visit buynifood.com and discovernorthernireland.com

ABOVE: The bar at Boatyard Distillery