The day after the Howth hike I was sore and looking for something not too strenuous. I let myself sleep in (I needed it!) and ate a late breakfast. It was raining and gray out in the early afternoon hours. After a cappuccino at Third Space and some soup which was perfect for the weather, I headed back to my hostel to plan the day. The answer came next door, a perfect activity for the day. Right next to my hostel was the Jameson Distillery.

I am not a drinker back in the states. I rarely drink and if I do it’s usually a glass of wine with dinner. I knew nothing about whiskey and never really drank it. I popped out of the hostel and made the one-minute walk to the distillery. The inside was buzzing with people. The first sight I saw were two rows of bars with patrons sitting up on the barstools ordering from their menu.

Just like my hostel, the ceiling was decorated with Jameson bottle chandeliers.

I wandered around the back, taking in the sight of the walls decorated with barrels of Jameson and old whiskey bottles.

I followed a steady stream of people to find the ticketing counter and paid for the tour, excited for the experience. I wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed but the scenery and vibe inside the distillery was fun, so I knew the tour had to be good!

The tour consisted of the history of the distillery, how whiskey is made, and a sampling of Jameson, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. The tour guide explained the difference between the three. We learned which one was smokier or had a sweeter finish. It gave me an appreciation for whiskey! I found that I quite liked Jameson! I also loved the history lessons. Here’s one of my favorite tidbits: the men who worked in the distillery were given free whiskey throughout the day and those who had dirtier, more unpleasant jobs were given extra, which lead many men to purposefully dirty their uniform in order to get more than their normal allotment.

After the tour we were lead through the gift store and given a voucher for a free drink. I chose the Jameson Ginger and Lime and loved it. I may be wearing a shirt that says Rosé The Day Away, but I was definitely appreciating some fine Irish whiskey! I had a great time and highly recommend the tour!

I will end this blog post with what my tour guide taught us. Sláinte! It means good health and is said when cheering a drink.