5 Essential Whiskey Bars to Visit in Dublin
Whiskey bars in Dublin come in many shapes and sizes, but each strives to offer the very best in hospitality and welcome. Some stretch their menus to include as many whiskeys as possible, while others offer a smaller choice, allowing the atmosphere and surroundings win their place in the hearts of whiskey fans. Here are five great Dublin pubs that will help your whiskey journey turn a corner in the capital.
The traditional: Kehoe’s, South Anne Street, Dublin 2
Daytime is the best time to visit this beautiful historic pub. Not least because it’s standing-room only most nights of the week, but also because the light streaming through the windows in mid-afternoon is one of the most pleasant experiences in a Dublin pub. Rain or shine, the light throws shadows around this traditional country-style bar, revealing the polished contours of the wooden floor, the intimate snugs, the antique mirrors and the partitioned bar stools, where a whiskey can truly be enjoyed in peace.
The whiskey menu has been growing year-on-year and the emphasis is firmly on the most popular Irish single malts and pot stills, with a growing but compact collection of exceptional rarer bottles. Kehoe’s is a place to lose yourself for an afternoon and take stock of your place in the world as you pause on your own whiskey journey.
The Victorian: The Palace Bar, Fleet Street, Dublin 2
The Palace Bar and its first-floor Whisky Palace has rightly claimed the title of best whiskey bar in Leinster in recent years. Its owner, Willy Aherne, the third generation of his family to take charge, has developed the Palace into an engine in the Irish whiskey revival. Long a literary and journalistic refuge, the Palace today is a beacon for anyone seeking an authentic Irish whiskey bar.
The whiskey menu is superb both downstairs and upstairs at the dedicated whiskey bar, the Whiskey Palace and, as well as all the most popular Irish whiskey, you will find rare distillery gems and exclusive Palace Bar/distillery partnership bottles that are only available there. Willie has overseen the bottling of incredible Palace Bar bottles of Redbreast, Dunville’s and Fercullen among many others. Don’t miss the full set of Midleton on display over head in the main bar and make sure and say hello to Willie himself. He’s behind the bar almost every night.
The modern: Peruke & Periwig, Dawson Street, Dublin 2
Cocktails came later to Dublin than many European capitals but the city has been making up for it ever since. Peruke & Periwig’s superbly creaking and winding four-storey building is a much younger drinks emporium than its décor might suggest. Each floor reflects its 1800s origins as a society wig maker, offering different dark and intimate spaces to explore an eclectic cocktail menu that has placed Irish whiskey firmly at its heart.
There’s a full bar and a great whiskey menu but it’s the cocktails that will encourage you to return. Imbued with fun and decadence, they’re designed to burst with flavour and personality. Try the Warm Beer and Cold Women, Peruke’s take on a whiskey sour with Roe & Co whiskey, rhubarb punch and grapefruit or perhaps the Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore milkshake with Teeling Single Malt, vanilla, chocolate, milk cream and malt extract.
The global: Bowe’s, Fleet St, Dublin 2
This great Dublin pub on a literary side street has one of the most exciting international whiskey menus in town. A multiple winner of the Best Whiskey Bar in Leinster, it was also where the Irish Whiskey Society was founded before the society grew too big and the upstairs lounge was converted to another use, but historical starting points are never lost.
The staff here know their whiskey better than most and as well as directing you to the finest Irish, Scotch, Japanese and US whiskey they will rustle up a toasted cheese and ham sandwich on demand. This is a simple place with deep Dublin traditions and if you’re lucky enough to find the snug empty on arrival then grab it. It’s a wonderful seat from which to travel the whiskey globe.
The Distillery Outpost: Dingle Whiskey Bar, Nassau Street, Dublin 2
This Dublin outpost of the Dingle Distillery in Kerry is a super place to find your way through Irish and international whiskey. It’s tunnel-style entrance, where you’ll duck your head to avoid the staves of whiskey casks overhead, will bring you deep into a whiskey experience that is authentic and wonderfully managed. It’s owned by the Porterhouse group who run the connecting Porterhouse Central next door which offers some of Dublin’s best and original craft beer options.
Dingle’s own single malt and single pot still take pride of place on an excellent menu but you can carve out any whiskey journey you desire and choose by flavour or tradition. They stock US, Japanese and Indian whiskey and have no fear of Scotch. The Dingle Whiskey Bar, rooted in Ireland, has a confident international outlook. Step up to the bar, become a local and begin your own journey.