Visiting The Roe‌ ‌And‌ ‌Co‌ ‌Distillery‌ ‌In‌ ‌Dublin‌: Tours, History + Visitor Info

The Roe and Co ‌Distillery‌ is one of the newest whiskey distilleries in Dublin.

Although often overshadowed by the Jameson Distillery, the Pearse Lyons Distillery and the Teeling Distillery, it’s well worth a visit.

Located inside the imposing former Guinness Power House in The Liberties, Roe and Co Distillery is named after legendary 19th-century whiskey pioneer George Roe.

In the guide below, you’ll find info on the different Roe and Co ‌Distillery‌ tours and what to expect from a visit. Dive on in!

Some quick need-to-knows before visiting Roe and Co

Although a visit to Roe and Co ‌in Dublin is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. Location

Situated inside the imposing former Guinness Power House in The Liberties, Roe and Co are pretty hard to miss! Find them on James Street, only a few minutes walk from the Guinness Storehouse (look out for the large blocky building with the two smokestacks on either side).

2. Opening hours

So, the times for the various Roe and Co ‌Distillery‌ tours vary, and they currently have allotted times (usually early afternoon to late evening). You’ll find info on each tour below.

3. Tours and prices

There are two tours to choose from and it depends on if you prefer cocktails or blended whiskeys! Book onto The Flavours Workshop (€25 p/p) if you want to develop your cocktail-making skills. Alternatively, if you want to discover the secrets of blending then jump on the 106 Blending Experience (€30 p/p).

4. The on-site pubs

Roe and Co is a great spot to head to on the weekend, and there are a couple of places you can grab a drink. Rock up to the Powerhouse Bar for a glass or two, or check out D-8TE at the Cocktail Village, where you’ll have a chance to pair your favourite cocktails with amazing food from around the world. 

About the Roe And Co Distillery

Named after legendary 19th-century whiskey pioneer George Roe, Roe and Co are actually one of Dublin’s youngest distilleries after opening their doors in 2019. 

But despite their youth, there’s actually a vast distilling history around the very spot where you’ll enjoy your glass of Roe and Co whiskey today. In fact, the Thomas Street Distillery (owned by George Roe) was at one stage Ireland’s largest exporter of whiskey!

Producing twice as much as Jameson

Producing twice the number of gallons per year of John Jameson’s now-illustrious Bow Street distillery, it was described by some visitors as arguably one of the biggest distilleries in the world during its 19th-century heyday. 

Occupying around 17 acres and employing over 200 staff, the Thomas Street distillery exported its quality whiskies to Great Britain, the United States, Canada and even Australia (think how much of a challenge exporting that far would have been in those days!). 

Harder times

By the late 19th century, the Thomas Street Distillery was having trouble keeping up with the competition from Scottish producers and was eventually amalgamated with a couple of other local distillers.

However, thanks to American Prohibition and ongoing trade tensions with Great Britain following Irish Independence, the distillery closed its gates for good in 1926.

Regeneration

In January 2017, Diageo announced that they would invest €25 million in building a new distillery in the old brewery powerhouse building on James Street, close to the site of the original Thomas Street Distillery.

Paying homage to George Roe, they named the site Roe and Co and thus, a new chapter in the neighbourhood’s distilling life was begun! Although it’s still one of the lesser-known whiskey distilleries in Ireland, it’s well worth a look.

The Roe And Co Distillery Tour

There are two different tours of the  Roe and Co ‌Distillery‌ that you can head off on, depending on the type of experience you’re after.

1. The Flavours Workshop (€25)

As the name suggests, the Flavours Workshop is all about taste! Here you’ll explore the Five Pillars of Flavour: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Choose your cocktail based on your own unique palate and uncover the taste of your chosen flavour.

Roe and Co’s expert staff will help guide you along while you craft your chosen creation and they’ll also explain everything that goes into making the perfect cocktail. 

The experience lasts for 40 minutes, and you’ll also get a reserved table at the Powerhouse Bar for another 45 minutes afterward. 

2. Blending Experience (€30)

Want to learn how to make the perfect Old Fashioned? Book onto the Old Fashioned Master Class in room 106 and get an expert tutorial on how the famous cocktail is formed and crafted.

Also, in case you’re wondering why it’s called room 106, that’s because named after the number of blends it took to perfect the Roe & Co!

Anyway, you’ll be learning some of the processes that these master distillers have spent years perfecting. 

The experience lasts for 40 minutes and you’ll also get a reserved table at the Powerhouse Bar for another 45 minutes afterward. 

Things to do near the Roe And Co Distillery

One of the beauties of the Roe and Co ‌Distillery‌ is that it’s a stone’s throw from some of the most popular tourist attractions in Dublin.

Below, you’ll find more distilleries and breweries to historic sites, ancient pubs and much, much more.

1. Guinness and more whiskey tours (3 to 6-minute walk)

If you want to double up on the day’s tour through Dublin’s historic beverages, then the most famous one of them all is just a 5-minute walk away! The Guinness Storehouse is a great experience and comes with a cracking rooftop view to finish.

However, if you want to keep it whiskey-based, then make the 3-minute walk to the equally excellent Pearse Lyons distillery (very easy to find too as it’s located inside a church!). 

2. Dublin’s Oldest pub (10-minute walk)

Very much the reigning champion of ancient pubs in Dublin, and by some distance! Just a 10-minute walk from Roe and Co and Proudly boasting on a scroll of painted parchment on the pub’s whitewashed walls that it dates back to 1198, the Brazen Head is Dublin’s oldest pub and is also one of its most popular. 

3. Phoenix Park (15-minute walk)

Dominated by the 200ft tall Wellington Monument, the Phoenix Park is an enormous space and one of the largest enclosed public parks in any capital city in Europe (the Wellington Monument is also the largest obelisk in Europe!). Make the 15-minute stroll across the Liffey and up Wolfe Tone Quay to explore its vast expanse. It’s also home to Dublin Zoo and Áras an Uachtaráin.

4. Kilmainham Gaol (20-minute walk)

Infamous for being the site of incarceration for many Nationalist leaders, Kilmainham Gaol has played a hugely significant and symbolic part in Irish history and the prison is well worth a visit. Lying a 20-minute walk west of Roe and Co, former inmates include Charles Stewart Parnell, Patrick Pearse and Eamon de Valera.

FAQs about Roe and Co

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘When was the Roe and Co Distillery built?’ to ‘What is there to see nearby?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

Is the Roe and Co Distillery worth visiting?

Yes. Although it’s one of the lesser-known distilleries in Ireland, the reviews of the tours are excellent and it’s a short distance away from the Storehouse.

How much are the Roe and Co tours?

There are two tours, depending on the type of experience you’re after: The Blending Experience (€30) and The Flavours Workshop (€25).