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The Irish Whiskey Story, Dublin
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From €79 per person
You don’t need to know anything about whiskey to enjoy this. That’s genuinely the starting point.
The Irish Whiskey Story is a two-hour tutored tasting run by a small team of Whiskey Specialist Hosts in a private space in central Dublin. They were named Icons of Whisky at the World Whisky Awards 2025, and their approach is relaxed and conversational - it’s not a lecture, it’s a tasting that turns into a proper chat about what you’re drinking and why it matters.
You’ll work through a six-part tasting covering a wide range of styles and brands from all over Ireland, with a real emphasis on small-batch and hard-to-find whiskeys. The pours are chosen to complement the story they tell - the full arc of Irish whiskey from its origins to where it is today. Questions are very much encouraged throughout.
The tasting takes place in The Snug at McGrattans Bar, reserved privately for your group, at 3pm daily. Groups are capped at 15 people, with a minimum of 4 guests to run. If a date is running close to the minimum, they may be in touch to discuss moving to the day before or after.
Meeting point: Front doors of McGrattans Bar, for a 3pm start
Have lunch before you arrive. The tasting starts at 3pm and runs for two hours - it covers six pours, and you’ll enjoy them a lot more on a full stomach. There are plenty of good options within a short walk of McGrattans Bar; the area around Merrion Square and the city centre has everything from casual lunch spots to sit-down restaurants.
Write down what you’re tasting as you go. Your host will cover a lot of ground across six whiskeys, and the detail sticks better if you jot a few notes. Nobody will think you’re being overly serious about it - your host is there to make sure you actually learn something, and most people leave with a shortlist of bottles they want to track down at home.
Ask about the whiskeys you can’t easily find. The whole point of the curation here is that it goes beyond the bottles you’d see in an airport duty free. If something really lands for you, ask where you might find it - your host will know which Dublin whiskey shops carry it and whether it’s worth hunting down.
The Icons of Whisky award at the 2025 World Whisky Awards is worth knowing about. It’s not a marketing badge - the World Whisky Awards are a serious trade and enthusiast benchmark, and being named Icons of Whisky is recognition for the overall quality and education behind the tasting rather than just a single product. It means you’re in good hands.
Come with at least a couple of questions prepared. The Irish whiskey industry went through a near-collapse in the 20th century and has had a remarkable revival in recent years. If you’re curious about why that happened, or what makes triple-distilled Irish whiskey different from Scotch, or how age statements work, just ask. The session is deliberately conversational, and the hosts enjoy a proper back-and-forth far more than a silent room.