The Old Bushmills Distillery Co Antrim Ireland

The home of Irish Malt Whiskey, the Old Bushmills Distillery Co Antrim Ireland, two miles from Giant’s Causeway is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world making whiskey since 1608. The Victorian architecture of the Distillery dates from 1885 when it was rebuilt due to a fire. Whiskey making at Bushmills draws on centuries-old distilling history, including the first license to distill whiskey in 1608 by King James I. Single Malt Whiskies such as Bushmills and Black Bush are produced here and guided whiskey tours are available.

Whiskies from “Old Bushmills” are renowned for their warm, distinctive taste and the art and craft of distilling them, which has been handed down for generations, can be experienced on a tour through the working distillery. The tour takes you through the processes from the water of the springs of St. Columb’s Rill, the malting of Irish barley, its triple distillation in copper stills and its maturing in oak casks and of course the tour ends with a sample of one of the distillery’s famous, Bushmills whiskies.

The company itself was founded in 1783 and in 1800’s we find records of the  S.S. Bushmills, a large sailing ship own by company which transported whiskey across the Atlantic. During its existence the distillery has changed ownership many times. At one time it was owned by the Boyd family who were responsible for promoting the product worldwide, in 1972 it became part of the Irish Distillers Group who themselves were taken over by  Pernod Ricard, the distillery is now owned by Diageo.ever the owner is, it is hard to fault the Black Bush, especially hot with a hint of clove and a wee teaspoon of honey, oh!, and a winter night.

Whiskey is the “uisce beatha” - water of life in Irish Gaelic !