The Old Jameson Distillery

The Irish whiskey lovers will certainly appreciate a little visit to the Jameson distillery, located in the districts of Dublin. A veritable little museum dedicated to the production of this great whiskey label, the Jameson Distillery will present all the subtleties of this whiskey, which is one of the world’s best-selling whiskeys!

History of Jameson Distillery

An Irish Whiskey produced as early as 1780.

The history of Jameson whiskey starts in 1780, when John Jameson, a rich entrepreneur from Dublin decides to create his own distillery. He then decides to settle in Dublin itself, near Smithfield Village, an industrial area in full expansion at that time.

Very quickly, Jameson whiskey gains in reputation all over Dublin, and then all over Ireland, and becomes a reference whiskey, among the most consumed by the Irish people. The success is such, that the Jameson brand grows from year to year, relocating its production to other sites to better satisfy the demand.

From 1780 to the present day, Jameson has established itself as the Irish whiskey par excellence, exporting millions of litres of whiskey around the world every year. Due to its success, the distillery and the brand were acquired by Irish Distillers, an Irish subsidiary of the Pernod-Ricard Group.

Visit the Jameson Distillery

An Educational Expo on the Jameson Whiskey Making Process

Before going back home, don’t hesitate to admire the Jameson distillery building: it has only been partially restored, and most of its architecture still dates from the 1780s, when John Jameson founded his distillery. The stones used during the construction are still visible, as well as the superb imposing chimney which overhangs the whole Dublin.

The Jameson Distillery is as fun as it is rewarding and will show you the different stages of production of a typical Jameson whiskey. You will discover how Jameson whiskey goes from being barley to the smoky beverage so popular in Ireland and elsewhere.

It all starts with the projection of a short film, presenting you the story of John Jameson, the founder of the distillery. After a few minutes of this instructive documentary, your guide will ask you to go to the upper floor to discover the magnificent stills and life-size vats where the famous Jameson whiskey is distilled.

You will learn that the quality of the water used in the production process is of great importance to the taste of the final product. As well as the indispensable triple distillation process, which allows the whiskey to be distilled three times in order to obtain the characteristic flavours of an Irish whiskey.

The processes used in this exhibition are quite grandiose: the material exhibited comes from the first stills used by John Jameson at the time of the foundation of the distillery. The numerous barrels stored all over the building, as well as the smells of barley, malt, and alcohol make it a place that plunges us into the atmosphere of a real distillery.

After this short visit of about 45 minutes, you will be invited to taste Jameson whiskey, and to take part in a blind test to taste up to 5 Irish whiskeys, and to identify them. A rather nice way to discover in a playful way the subtleties of Irish whiskey!

Finally, don’t hesitate to end the visit by passing by the Jameson Chimney: this former chimney of the distillery has been converted into a tower with a lift to allow you to admire the beauty of Dublin! A superb point of view not to be missed!