Ireland 2024
The Whiskey Trail
We arrived in Dublin after a swift flight over the land of the King. I waved as the Queen, with a glint in her eye, taught us girls, knowing we would soon land on the Green Isle.
Despite a car rental misunderstanding resulting in a boot no larger than a mousetrap, we set off to Tullamore Dew Distillery. We were thrilled by the “Be the Blender” contraption. Mr. William will be busy recreating this for Conrad when we get home.
The next day, following the strong advice of an Irish Custom Officer – a true whiskey aficionado – we headed to a little distillery with a history of six generations of illicit spirit runners. These boys have gone legit, bringing Poitin out into the open. OMGOSH – it’s fantastic. Poitin is to whiskey what Bacardi is to rum and Eau-de-Vie is to brandy. I can’t wait to distil this spirit and craft some great cocktails.
Then a little swim to warm up.
We wound our way through green fields and past the relics of Dungeons and Dragons, where princesses were saved, and kings were slain, until we reached Dublin.
Jameson on Bow Street was amazing and gave us great ideas for our tasting room. Then we visited Whiskey Reserve, next to the bustling Temple Bar. Amidst the lively scene, we found an $80,000 Bushmills bottle sitting proudly among its worthy siblings.
As a young Billy Joel played the grand piano in the corner, we sipped several mighty Irish whiskeys, learning why they are unique for avoiding heavy-handed government taxes.
Sadly, we had to leave too soon to see a few boys on fast bikes.
