The Teeling Whiskey Distillery is one of the most popular whiskey distilleries in Ireland.
Along with the Jameson Distillery, the Pearse Lyons Distillery and the Roe and Co Distillery, it’s one of a handful of whiskey distilleries in Dublin that’s well worth visiting.
Located in Dublin’s historic distilling district in the Liberties, the Teeling tour takes you through their fully operational distillery while also offering an insight into the Teeling story.
In the guide below, you’ll find info on the Teeling tour (cost, what’s involved, etc) along with some handy 2023 info.
Some quick need-to-knows before visiting the Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Although a visit to the Teeling Whiskey Distillery is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.
1. Location
The capital’s first new distillery for 125 years is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle in the Liberties – Dublin’s historic distilling district. While there are a few buses that go there (routes 151, 27, 56a, 77a), it’s only a 20-minute walk from the city centre.
2. Opening hours
The Teeling Distillery tour takes place seven days a week, from 12pm to 7pm, with the last tour beginning at 5:40pm. They’re open all year round apart from the 24th, 25th and 26th of December.
3. Admission
The Teeling Whiskey tour starts at €18 and rises to €35, depending on which Teeling tour you choose. If you really want to push the boat out, there’s also a ‘Bottle Your Own Experience’ for €165. Prices may change.
4. The different whiskies
Teeling do a few different whiskies, although the ‘small batch’ is their flagship bottle. Also, look out for the Single Malt, Single Grain, Single Pot Still and the Peated Single Malt. Enthusiasts should check out the Vintage Reserve collection and the limited edition bottles.
5. Part of the Dublin Pass
Exploring Dublin over 1 or 2 days? If you buy a Dublin Pass for €70 you can save from €23.50 to €62.50 on Dublin’s top attractions, like the EPIC Museum, the Guinness Storehouse, 14 Henrietta Street, the Jameson Distillery Bow St. and more (info here).
About the Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Courtesy Teelings Whiskey Distillery via Ireland’s Content Pool
Though they’re one of the newest distilleries in Dublin, the name Teeling goes all the way back to the golden era of John Jameson and George Roe. In 1782, Walter Teeling established a distillery on Dublin’s Marrowbone Lane in the Liberties area of Dublin.
However, by the 19th century, the Teeling Whiskey Distillery was purchased by a larger neighbouring operation, William Jameson & Co (part of the Jameson family but now a rival distillery).
Like many other Irish distilleries in the early 20th century, William Jameson & Co eventually shut down due to financial difficulties, and any last remaining trace of the Teeling name disappeared.
Regeneration
The rebirth began in 1987 when John Teeling, a descendant of Walter Teeling, purchased a facility in Cooley, County Louth and converted it into a distillery. Opening as the Cooley Distillery in 1989, it operated for around 20 years before being sold to American multinational Beam Inc in 2011.
Though not before Teeling’s sons, Jack and Stephen, negotiated the purchase of 16,000 casks of aged Irish whiskey and used them to launch Teeling Whiskey in 2012.
In 2015, the Teelings established a new whiskey distillery in Newmarket Square, not far from the spot of the original Teeling Distillery on Marrowbone Lane.
The Teeling Distillery tour (€18 p/p)
Courtesy Teelings Whiskey Distillery via Ireland’s Content Pool
The first thing to know about this Teeling Distillery Tour (affiliate link) is that when you’re being shown around, you’re seeing a fully operational distillery in action which is pretty cool (not every ‘distillery’ in the city is a working distillery).
This self-guided tour costs €18 per person and you get to try some of the award-winning Teeling whiskey range. You also have access to the Exhibition Space, where the story of Dublin’s whiskey history is told.
There are two other self-guided tours: for €25, you can check out their award-winning Teeling Trinity range featuring Small Batch, Single Grain & Single Malt.
Finally, for €35 you can try all the Teeling Trinity whiskies, and they’ll then throw in the flagship Teeling Small Batch for your enjoyment too. Pretty decent value I’d say!
Things to do near the Teeling Whiskey Distillery
One of the beauties of taking the Teeling Whiskey tour is that, when you finish up, you’re a short walk from some of the best places to visit in Dublin.
Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the Teeling Whiskey Distillery (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!).
1. St Patrick’s Cathedral (7-minute walk)
Photo left: SAKhanPhotography. Photo right: Sean Pavone (Shutterstock)
Eight hundred years old and one of Dublin’s iconic structures, St Patrick’s Cathedral is less than 10 minutes away from Teelings and could be a cool spot to stop off at on the way to the distillery. Admire the gorgeous architecture from the pleasant grounds outside before taking a free tour.
2. Marsh’s Library (8-minute walk)
Photo by James Fennell via Ireland’s Content Pool
One of the last 18th-century buildings in Ireland still used for its original purpose, the 300-year-old Marsh’s Library sits next door to St Patrick’s and has a fascinating history all of its own. Check out the bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Rising, as well as some dusty ancient tomes that date back to the 15th century!
3. Guinness Storehouse (12-minute walk)
Courtesy Diageo Ireland Brand Homes via Ireland’s Content Pool
Just over a 12-minute walk away is the home of Dublin and Ireland’s most famous drink export. If you prefer something a bit heavier than whiskey’s light (but strong!) touch, then the Guinness Storehouse is a great place to visit. Learn all about Arthur Guinness, the brewing process, the famous adverts and finish with a gorgeous rooftop view of Dublin.
4. St Stephen’s Green (20-minute walk)
Photo left: Matheus Teodoro. Photo right: diegooliveira.08 (Shutterstock)
The heart of Georgian Dublin comes in the form of a lovely green square at the centre of a busy city. As well as its trees, ponds and fountains, St Stephen’s Green is home to some interesting busts, including those of James Joyce and Constance Markievicz. When you’ve made the 20-minute walk from the Teeling tour, you’ll be back among the action of the city too.
FAQs about the Teeling Whiskey Distillery tour
We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Who owns Teeling distillery?’ to ‘What distillery makes Teeling?’.
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 Teeling Distillery tour worth doing?
Yes. The Teeling Distillery tour is arguably one of the better whiskey tours in Dublin, with plenty of rave reviews online.
How much is the Teeling tour?
The Teeling tour starts at €18 for the standard, self-guided tour. There are some more expensive options, depending on what you’d like to sample.