Irish Whiskey News & Stories

  United States key to growth plans for revived Irish whiskey brand McConnell’s Story by Ryan Smith • Jun 23   An Irish whiskey company has told of its bold plans to crack the North American market as it prepares to open a destination tourist attraction in Ireland. McConnell’s Whisky, which dates back to 1776 but closed in the 1930s amid US prohibition, was revived in 2019 by Belfast Distillery Company. Since then it has expanded into 32 markets and work is nearing completion on a multi-million-pound distillery and visitor experience in Belfast, which is set to open in November. Speaking in New...

The 5th annual Belfast Whiskey Week is July 21-29th. The largest Irish Whiskey festival in Ireland will feature a celebration of dozens of brands and distilleries. In recognition, Irish Whiskey Society America highlighted the best of Belfast in the July IWSA Newsletter as well as multiple social media posts featuring Belfast. Read our reviews of: Belfast Derby Cocktail Bittles Bar Dunvilles 1808 Friend at Hand Titanic Distillers McConnell's Irish Whiskey More than 30 brands and distilleries part of fifth Belfast Whiskey Week Mixologist Emily Doherty, Paul Kane from Belfast Whiskey Week, and Geri Martin from The Chocolate Manor.        Kenny Archer...

Is this Belfast's Best Bar? It certainly is one of the coolest. Bittles Bar is located in the heart of Belfast, a few blocks from both Cathedral Quarter and Victoria Square. Let's start with the building. With its red brick facade, the Flatiron building, which gets its name from its architectural shape similar to a flat iron, is bordered by two streets. The distinctive building is hard to miss despite the narrowness of the three story landmark. Bittles Bar resides on the ground floor. The entrance is along the interior street, Upper Church Lane, which also has a few tables for...

The Friend at Hand is a celebration of Belfast and Irish Whiskey. Part store. Part Museum. Owner Willie Jack has built an institution to honor the history of Belfast and its role in Irish Whiskey traditions. Located on Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter, the shop's exterior is fairly unassuming with its red brick facade and black trim signage, door, and window. Stepping inside, the "shop" is relatively small, maybe 10' by 10' with left side staircase, register, and dozens of Irish Whiskey bottles filling shelf space. The store is very unique. Only Irish Whiskey is sold here. All sales...

The first new distillery in almost 100 years opened in Belfast at the beginning of May. Titanic Distillers at Thompson Dock opened at the former site of where the famous ship was built. I had the pleasure of visiting in mid May to experience the tour and tasting. And what an experience. I highly recommend the Premium Docks Tour which takes you down to where the Titanic once rested before its voyage. The tour is both a history lesson as well as a whiskey experience.Initially venturing outside the distillery structure, the tour ventures around the famous Thompson Dock. After a...