Distillery & Brewery Tours

Northern Ireland has seen a renaissance in brewing and distilling in recent years. Nearly every county now boasts a top-class producer of beer and cider or whiskey and gin. Of course, some have been around for years and have moved with the times. They are opening up and divulging at least some, if not all, of their long-held secrets to the public – which includes you!

Psst.. Check out the NI Spirits Trail, which incorporates ten of our best distilleries across Northern Ireland.

From Bushmills’ peaty whiskey to Derry-Londonderry’s milky stout

Let’s start with a taste of possibly Northern Ireland’s best-known whiskey distillery. Old Bushmills Distillery in the village of Bushmills has been producing the finest whiskey on the Causeway Coastal Route for over 400 years.

Using water from the River Bush, the distillery is famous the world over for its golden produce. You can find out all about the distillery’s history, the secret of its success and get a wee dram for yourself during their excellent guided tours.

Not too far away in Derry-Londonderry is the Walled City Brewery whose Derry Milk Beer is hand-crafted from chocolate stout and organic cow’s milk. It is an alcohol experience you won’t forget. The brewery doesn't offer official tours because they believe they have developed something even better. And to be honest, it’s very difficult to argue with them.

Their beer masterclass is a ninety-minute ‘interactive experience’ where you can relax, sit back and let their talented brewers tell you the multi-millennia story of brewing while tasting their ten craft beers. When you’re finished you can sample the delights of their award-winning restaurant, and enjoy the Taste of the North West by trying locally produced, premium quality food.

Apples and cider in Armagh of course

Armagh is also known as the Orchard County, so it is hardly surprising to find a cider producer in this part of the world. Philip Troughton and his wife Helen started the Armagh Cider Company in 2005. This made them the first commercial craft cider company in Northern Ireland. For years, the couple had supplied apples to the world famous Magner’s Brewery before deciding to go it alone. On their brewery tour, he and his wife will tell you all about their story and talk you through cider brewing from blossom to bottle. Everything happens right on their doorstep.

Sip it down almost straight from the still in County Down

Rademon Estate Distillery is the home of Shortcross Gin. Head distiller, David Boyd-Armstrong and his team, produce this sweet and tasty tipple using locally picked wild botanicals and fresh well water. Pre-book a tour of the distillery and its beautiful surroundings in Down, and he will take you through the whole intriguing process.

Of course, there will be time to taste his gin too. Judges at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition found it so tasty that they awarded Shortcross Gin a Gold Medal for ‘setting the standard for its category’. It certainly sets it very high.

Brendan Carty travelled the globe mining for secrets of distilling premium whiskey. Today, he runs the Killowen Distillery in the heart of the Mourne Mountains. The distillers at Killowen are a passionate bunch and they explain their unique whiskey making process with gusto. At the end of it all you can try their delicious peated or non-peated dram. Just don’t go running up the hill afterwards. You’ll miss the next place...

Brewing up a quiet storm in the Mournes

Bernard and Kerry Sloan were pioneers. In 1996, they had the idea of making their own beer on their farm near the Mourne Mountains. At the Whitewater Brewing Company in Castlewellan you’ll discover their wonderful attitude to their work and while they ‘boast’ that they have made beers that were the ‘first of their kind in Ireland’, they also admit producing ales that quickly became ‘the last of their kind’. Given that it all started in their grandfather’s shed, they take great pride in taking you on a tour of their state-of-the-art brewery or ‘bigger shed’, as they like to call it.

A Toast of Tyrone

Out West in County Tyrone, Pokertree Brewing Company, ‘the first brewery in County Tyrone in over three generations’ brew superb quality, small batch, handmade beers using all-natural ingredients. Pokertree use open fermentation tanks for each of their ales and every single one is uniquely conditioned in the bottle meaning that their ales are not pasteurized, filtered or artificially carbonated – something founder Darren Nugent promises will always be the case.

Rebirth of another industry in Belfast

At one time in the middle of the 19th century, Belfast was home to no fewer than thirteen breweries. All of them eventually disappeared. In 2014, the Hercules Brewing Company became the first craft brewery to open in the city for a staggering 160 years. ‘Tis little wonder the owners are so proud. This place is named after one of the original breweries on Hercules Street and uses some of the old traditions of brewing to create their small batch lager, Yardsman. You can find out more about what they do to create their unique flavour. There can’t be many places that filter beer through linen!

Beer drinking cows, beer made from milk and 400-year-old whiskey. Just don’t have too much or when you get back home, you might think it was all a dream.

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Killowen Distillery Tour & Tasting

Rostrevor

Address

Kilfeaghan Road, Rostrevor, County Down, BT34 3AW

Telephone
+44 (0) 7727 747 949

info@killowendistillery.com

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Located in the heart of the Mourne Mountains, Killowen Distillery has a ‘Kult’ following and an epic history, due in no small part to its great whiskeys and gins.

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Shortcross Gin Discovery & Tour Experience

Crossgar

Address

65 Church Road, Crossgar, County Down, BT30 9HR

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 4483 0001

events@shortcrossgin.com

Price
Price £49.95 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Art, craft and history blend together at Shortcross Distillery, to create an unforgettable experience on the beautiful grounds of Rademon Estate. Join founders Fiona and David to learn about their award-winning gin, which also happens to be Northern…

Price
Price £49.95 Per Ticket

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Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Beer Masterclass

Derry~Londonderry

Address

Ebrington Square, Derry~Londonderry, County Londonderry, BT47 6FA

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7134 3336

info@walledcitybrewery.com

Price
Price £20.00 Activity

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

For craft beer aficionados, anyone with a thirst for a fun experience, or essentially anyone who likes really good beer, the Beer Masterclass experience at the Walled City Brewery is just the ticket! Have a go at making your own micro-beer and…

Price
Price £20.00 Activity

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Hinch Distillery Tours

Ballynahinch

Address

19 Carryduff Road, Ballynahinch, County Down, BT27 6TZ

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9279 1180

reception@hinchdistillery.com

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

A tour at Hinch Distillery is not just an exploration of history, production and their bold range of triple distilled whiskeys; it’s an invitation to sit and learn from the characters that bring it to life through an immersive sensory journey.

Dates

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
The Copeland Distillery Tour

Donaghadee

Address

The Copeland Distillery, Manor Street, Donaghadee, County Down, BT21 0HF

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9162 4000

tours@copelanddistillery.com

Price
Price £22.50 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Truly immerse yourself at The Copeland Distillery, where you’ll hear tales of secret smugglers, savage battles and remarkable voyages, all while soaking up our coastal spirits of whiskey, gin, and rum.

Price
Price £22.50 Per Ticket

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Parking & Transport
- Car parking
- Parking (free)
Facilities

Leisure Facilities
- Wifi
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
1115 reviews
Walled City Brewery

Derry~Londonderry

Address

70 Ebrington Square, Derry~Londonderry, County Londonderry, BT47 6FA

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7134 3336

info@walledcitybrewery.com

Type

Type:

Brewery

The Walled City Brewery craft uniquely local, premium quality, fabulously flavoursome food and beer in their multi-award winning brewhouse, restaurant and new taproom. If you truly want a flavour of the North-West, it is a must-visit!

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Titanic Distillers at Thompson Dock

Belfast

Address

Thompson Dock, Queen's Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT3 9DT

Telephone
02890 992992

bookings@titanicdistillers.com

Price
Price £10.00 to £100.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

This is the city's first working distillery in almost 90 years. Explore the site where Titanic last rested on dry ground, before her maiden voyage. Visitors to Thompson Dock and Pumphouse will clock in, as workers did a century ago, and experience…

Dates

Price
Price £10.00 to £100.00 Per Ticket

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Hilden Brewery

Lisburn

Address

90-192 Grand Street, Hilden, Lisburn, County Antrim, BT27 4TY

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9266 0800

info@hildenbrewery.co.uk

Type

Type:

Brewery

Hilden Brewery is Ireland's Oldest Independent Brewery. We have been running for over 40 years and in the last seven have added a second brew house, a bottling line and a canning line.

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Facilities

Provider Preferences
- Dogs accepted by arrangement
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Facilities

Leisure Facilities
- Wifi
Two Stacks Whiskey Tour

Newry

Address

59 Chancellors Road, Newry, County Down, BT35 8PX

Telephone
+44 (0)28 3005 3174

whiskey@twostackswhiskey.com

Price
Price £45.00 Activity to £75.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Discover the unique story of Two Stacks Irish Whiskey and the history of blending and bonding in Ireland. Learn about the true art of blending whiskey and enjoy exclusive access to Two Stacks ultra-rare casks, extracting and tasting the whiskey…

Price
Price £45.00 Activity to £75.00 Per Ticket

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Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
- Parking (free)
Facilities

Accessibility
- Ramp / Level Access
Facilities

Establishment Features
- Wi-fi available
The Echlinville Distillery

Kircubbin

Address

62 Gransha Road, Kircubbin, County Down, BT22 1AJ

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 4273 8597

info@echlinville.com

Price
Price £23.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Distillery

Discover how Echlinville Distillery captures the flavour, colour and mouthfeel of their spirits, before settling down to relax and enjoy them in the bar.

Price
Price £23.00 Per Ticket

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Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Old Bushmills Distillery

Bushmills

Address

2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8XH

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 2073 3218

visitors.bushmills@bushmills.com

Type

Type:

Distillery

In 1608, in Bushmills, a legend was born. In that year, King James I granted a very particular licence to this small village, just a few miles inland from Ireland’s rugged north coast. The licence gave Bushmills the right to distil whiskey. Today,…

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Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Facilities

Leisure Facilities
- Wifi
McConnell's Distillery & Visitor Experience

Belfast

Address

Crumlin Road Gaol, 53-55 Crumlin Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT14 6ST

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9590 2929

tickets@belfastdistillery.com

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket to £45.00 Activity

Type

Type:

Distillery

McConnell’s Distillery, located in North Belfast in the historic A-wing of Crumlin Road Gaol, opens this Spring. This state of the art distillery will host guided tours sharing the unique story of the McConnell’s brand and the history of distilling…

Dates

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket to £45.00 Activity

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Facilities

Catering
- Licensed
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Facilities

Leisure Facilities
- Wifi
Establishment Features
- Wi-fi available
Whitewater Brewery Tours and Tap Room

Castlewellan

Address

Lakeside Brae, Clarkhill Road, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9RH

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 4377 8900

brewery.whitewater@gmail.com

Price
Price £20.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Join us for a look around our brewery, see how we make some of our award winning brews, then head back to the Tap House where you can try some ales and hear some tales.

Price
Price £20.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Woodlab Distillery

Moy

Address

237 Trewmount Road, Moy, County Tyrone, BT71 7ED

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 8778 9344

ulrich@woodlabdistillery.com

Type

Type:

Distillery

The gin school at Woodlab Distillery is a unique experience in the science of harnessing nature to extract the flavour profiles present in their gin. Using a little bit of science they source the flavours of exotic botanicals and much more in the…

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Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Facilities

Leisure Facilities
- Wifi
Mourne Road Tours - Craft Brewery Tour

Castlewellan

Address

Drumee Gardens, Castlewellan, County Down, BT31 9EJ

Telephone
+44 (0) 7368 529 714

info@mourne-road-tours.co.uk

Type

Type:

Brewery/Distillery Tour

Northern Ireland has become one of the most prominent players in the craft beer and gin boom across the world, and this exciting tour will take you to visit three of the region’s biggest players in the industry.

More Info