Every evening at 6pm, your local guide meets you at the Spire - that’s the big needle on O’Connell Street - and leads you somewhere most visitors never go: the north side of the Liffey, where Dubliners actually drink.
Over three and three-quarter hours you’ll visit four different pubs, working through a proper tasting trail. That means craft Irish beer from a local microbrewery, a creamy pint of Guinness poured the way it should be, a Single Malt Irish whiskey from a revived distillery, and a craft gin and tonic from a micro-distillery down in County Cork. Your guide ties it all together with the stories behind each drink - how the beer gets its flavour, why Guinness tastes different here, what’s driving the whiskey revival.
The third stop is Slattery’s, an iconic Dublin pub where you can sit down and order some traditional Irish food if you’re hungry (not included in the tour price but well worth it). The night wraps up in a cosy pub with a live traditional Irish music session - stay as long as you like.
Running late? You can join the group any time up to 6:30pm at The Black Sheep on Capel Street.
The Spire, O’Connell Street - Meet beside the Spire at 6pm and look for the Yellow Umbrella. Once introductions are done, you head off together to the first pub. (10 min)
Capel Street craft beer bar - Recently pedestrianised and buzzing at night, Capel Street is where Dubliners have been heading lately. At a local craft beer bar you’ll taste three distinct styles from an Irish microbrewery while your guide walks you through how each one is made. (60 min)
Victorian pub near the river - A beautiful old Victorian pub, just back from the Liffey, for a proper glass of Guinness. Your guide explains why it tastes so different here - the creaminess, the pour, the whole thing. (30 min)
Slattery’s - An iconic Dublin pub for the longest stop of the night. Settle in for a taster of Single Malt Irish whiskey (your guide covers the whiskey revival in Ireland) and then a craft gin and tonic from a County Cork micro-distillery. Traditional Irish food is available to order here if you’d like a bite. (90 min)
Traditional music session - The night ends in a cosy Dublin pub with a live Irish music session. Stay as long as you want, chat with the locals, and soak it all in. (30 min)
Eat something before you go. The tastings are generous and the night is long, but you’ll enjoy the whiskey more on a full stomach. If you’re not planning to order food at Slattery’s, grab a bite near O’Connell Street before the 6pm meetup - there are plenty of good spots within a short walk of the Spire.
Capel Street is worth exploring on its own. The pedestrianisation a few years back transformed what had been a slightly scrappy stretch into one of Dublin’s most interesting eating and drinking streets. It’s packed with independent spots - Korean, Vietnamese, natural wine bars - that didn’t exist here a decade ago. If you’ve got time before or after the tour, it’s worth a wander.
Don’t rush the music session at the end. The live traditional music stop is where the night tends to take on a life of its own. Locals will be there, conversations start easily, and the trad musicians are the real thing - not a performance put on for tourists. If you can stay an extra half hour, do it.
Ask your guide about the whiskey revival. Ireland went from having a handful of working distilleries in the 1980s to over 30 today. Your guide will cover this during the whiskey stop, but if you’re interested in visiting a distillery while you’re in Dublin, ask them what they’d recommend - they’ll have opinions worth hearing.
The Yellow Umbrella is your landmark. If you’re arriving from a different direction or just feeling disoriented around the Spire, the Yellow Umbrella is how you find your group. Don’t stress about finding the exact spot - just look for it.