Visiting the Oldest Licensed Whiskey Distillery: Bushmills is a great tour for lovers of history and whiskey

About an hour’s drive from Belfast and 2 miles from the Giant’s Causeway sits the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. The drive to the distillery takes you along winding roads through the beautiful Northern Ireland countryside.

Bushmills was founded in 1784, but the license dates back to 1608. A tour guide walks you through the lengthy history of Bushmills and the surrounding area and the process of making whiskey. Visiting the distillery helps you understand the old ways and the new ways of distilling whiskey. It also tells the story of hardships and determination. For those that love history and whiskey, this tour is for you.

King James I granted a license to distill whiskey to Sir Thomas Phillips to distill whiskey in Northern Ireland. The distillery, as we know it today, wasn’t built until a century later, but the royal license officially marks the beginning of Bushmills.

The official birth of Bushmills as a brand begins in 1784 by Hugh Anderson. He picked the location beside River Bush, which provides the whiskey with clean water as well as gives the brand its recognizable name.

A fire in 1885 destroyed the company and threatened its total demise, but Irish resilience brought the company out of the ashes. The distillery was rebuilt using stone, much of which can still be seen to this day. After the fire and through genius marketing, Bushmills became the “Whiskey of Gentleman,” and became a popular drink in New York City.

Bushmills hit another snag when the United States entered the Prohibition Era (1920-1933). With the US being a major consumer of whiskey, many distilleries in Ireland closed, but Bushmills continued to push on. When Prohibition ended, Bushmills was ready to ship and their bottles were found in New York City once again.

Now, Bushmills is owned by Casa Cuervo, the company behind the tequila Jose Cuervo. The company might be owned by a tequila brand, but the old tradition of making whiskey with 100% malted barley in copper pots lives on.

Visiting the distillery helps you understand the old ways and the new ways of distilling whiskey. It also tells the story of hardships and determination.

Our tour guide on the day of our visit was knowledgeable and entertaining as he told us the story of the Bushmill Distillery. After our visit, we got to sample a cocktail made with Bushmill Irish Whiskey. After an informative tour, it was nice to unwind with a tasty drink. Visitors may not take photos inside the distillery, so I could only photograph the exterior and the bar.