A great new Gin Distillery Map charts the must-try experiences and many ways to discover the story of the classic spirit around the island of Ireland.
Developed by Tourism Ireland, the colourful infographic-style map lists 22 distilleries and their locations, around which the ultimate gin odyssey can be plotted in all four corners of the country.
Handy for helping connoisseurs plan itineraries, design road trips and explore Irish gin by region or county, the creation of the map has been prompted by the sharp rise in craft gin producers in the land traditionally famed for its whiskey.
Ireland has undergone a gin revolution in recent years, with distilleries popping up all over the island. From distillery tours, gin classes and botanical foraging to tastings and distilling your own, a variety of gin holidays can be based around tasting the many different flavour profiles, discovering the gin-making processes and seeing the stills where the magic happens.
Recent arrivals on the island’s small batch gin scene include the newly opened Skellig Six 18 Distillery, which is inspired by the island of Skellig Michael, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that lies off the coast of County Kerry.
When the time is right it will be well worth making a trip out of a visit to Skellig Six 18 – with an added tour of Dingle Distillery, one of the forerunners of Ireland’s craft gin explosion. These two Wild Atlantic Way gin hotspots are separated only by a stunningly scenic drive along the world-famous route.
The Copeland Distillery in County Down only opened its doors for the first time in 2019, and its tasty Copeland Traditional Irish Gin features 12 carefully selected botanicals including pine needles and cubeb berries. Nearby in County Down, the Hinch Distillery is producing Ninth Wave Irish Gin, just launched in 2020 and already winning awards, while Shortcross Gin, renowned for its aromatic and exceptionally smooth taste, is among the more established distilleries on the island of Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s first craft gin has been distilled by husband and wife team David and Fiona Boyd-Armstrong at their historic Rademon Estate since 2012. Their distillery and visitor experience is set in a beautiful contemporary building, housing a lengthy bar, distillation room and copper still.
Dedicated gin geeks who fancy crafting their own spirit, should head to Listoke Distillery and Gin School as soon as it is safe to travel again. Located in County Louth in Ireland’s Ancient East, and known for its much lauded, small batch Listoke 1777 gin, this distillery is also home to a school where experts will help afficionados design and distil an exclusive gin profile that they can bottle and take home. The experience includes a tour of the distillery and its state-of-the-art equipment as well as tutoring in botanicals.
Ireland’s gin can also be explored online and tried anywhere in the world. The distinctive tastes and must-have bottles can be bought directly from the distilleries, gin clubs or Irish and international stockists.
www.ireland.comListoke Distillery & Gin School, County Louth
