Dublin Cocktail and Whiskey Adventure

While in Ireland exploring the wonderful world of Jameson Whiskey we decided to hang around a little longer and explore the vibrant capital city that is Dublin. We were lucky to have some great local guides take us on a full-day tour of the city and we finished up at a secret little bar where we had all to ourselves.

The day started around lunch so, of course, our first stop had to be a local hang-out where the drinks were simple but the vibe was both classic and fun. Probably not the classic you think about when thinking of great cocktails though. This was Token; a cool café/restaurant right near the Dublin Jameson Distillery where visitors sit amongst the various classic arcade games and enjoy delicious food and drinks.

Next up we wandered into the heart of Dublin and grabbed a quick cocktail at the Drury Buildings, better known for their late-night atmosphere, this was a great place to sit back with some Jameson Sours and hang out for a while to soak up the Dublin sun; that’s right it was sunny the whole time.

Everything from there was so close and now we were in the core we headed down the street to one of the more internationally respected cocktail bars in Dublin, Idlewild. We arrived just as they were opening the doors and the cocktails were really great, which paired perfectly with the hospitality and music in the venue. The space felt like a little locals-only spot where everyone knew the bartender and people were just dropping in to say hello and chat about their day, which is a testament to the staff as this was a hustling neighborhood full of tourists but the staff here knew everyone coming in and treated them like old friends.

As the evening kicked into full effect we wandered across the street to The Bar With No Name, which is the name of the bar if you were wondering. Up a set of stairs and we chatted with the bartender for a while before deciding to sit out on the patio and drink some Royal Casks. The weather was perfect and so were the cocktails, the contrast of the Jameson Caskmates IPA with Chambord in a sour cocktail balanced deliciously.

It was time to get serious and although The Rag Trader isn’t a cocktail bar it would have to go down as my favorite bar in Dublin as it is such a wonderfully sophisticated venue in the core of the city that just serves whiskey and beer. It was a great break from the cocktails to sit out in the street and share some boilermakers with the crew. We each chose some different whiskeys and paired them with delicious local brews and just sat back and took the evening in.

Finally, we made our way back to the Jameson Distillery to finish off the evening in true style. There was a special function going on so it was great to rock up with some stuff that could get us in and then we made a b-line for the bar to get some drinks. Once we each had a drink in hand our guide took us to the side and had security let us into the secret bar inside the distillery, which is adorned with historical documents and bottles.