Colorado native has a eureka moment - sets up "Full Irish Whisky Tour of Ireland"

Brian Wess - Full Irish Whisky Heritage Tour

Here’s the answer to most guys prayers? A Full Irish Whisky Tour of Ireland, led by Brian Wess of Colorado, USA.

Now, what would an American know about Irish whisky you might ask? Well, Brian has spent the last 5 years training with whiskey experts & master distillers while also independently touring the whisky bars and distilleries of Ireland (nice work if you can get it) in an attempt to put together the best whisky tour of Ireland and I think he has succeeded. He has even managed to cajole private whiskey tours and tastings out of all the major Irish distilleries including Jamesons, Bushmills, Killbeggan and Tullamore Dew, which is no mean feat.

What this means for his customer/clients (limited to just 15 per tour) is that they do not have to queue for a ticket or follow the crowd and do the regular tour, which do not get me wrong are excellent in all of the above, but even I would like to have an audience and tasting with Jameson’s master distiller Barry Crocket, in the Master Distillers Cottage at the Old Midleton Distillery in Cork where he was actually born!

It sounds like a match made in heaven a small group of like minded folk doing what they love most, touring Ireland, drinking whisky and having the craic!.

Sounds like a good plan to me, especially seeing as Brian has managed to incorporate some of the best visitor attractions into his tour route around and about Ireland. Including the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin (of course) whisky drinkers are going to want to learn how to pull their own pint of Guinness and Waterford Crystal (it adds a little something extra drinking good Irish whisky out of a cut crystal glass) don’t you think? And there are plenty of cultural and archeological sites thrown in for good measure! the Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, in County Clare where no doubt they will have a little taste of Poitín, which was distilled illegally all over Ireland (some say it still is, but that is definitely classified information) Poitín is made from potatoes and proofs out at a strength that will ‘either kill or cure you’. The Cliffs of Moher and the Giants Causeway are also included as well as the Ulster Folk Park and the stunning new Titanic Museum in Belfast as well as plenty of time out to enjoy the sights in Dublin.

What is especially nice about this all inclusive tour is that Brian has chosen Bed & Breakfast accommodation for one night which is a really good idea and makes for a much more intimate and authentic experience of Ireland. Irish B&B’s are known the world over for their ‘full Irish’ breakfasts that set guests up for the day with rarely any need to eat before dinner (also included) except for the last night when Brian has planned a right ole shindig in Brian Boru’s Bar in Dublin, in the Power’s award winning snug of the year, that I imagine will go on into the wee small hours of the morning, before they are all poured back onto the plane home in the morning.

A word of warning (not about the perils of drink, sorry) Brian only does these tours, twice a year and they are limited to just 15 people in addition to himself who conducts the tour. He seems like a very nice fellow, with endless patience (God Bless him) who has given serious attention to the details so that you don’t have to....

For more information about Brian Wess Full Irish Whisky Heritage Tours of Ireland or to book a place on his next tour please click here

By Susan Byron author of http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com

The Old Jamesons Distillery - home to Irelands favourite whiskey

I have to say I prefer the Old Jameson's Distillery as a visitor attraction to the Guinness Storehouse for the simple reason that the tour here is guided whereas in Guinness’s you are left to your own devices. Which can be very pleasant, especially above in the Gravity Bar with a view of the city and a pint in your hand, but for me I want something more?

I like to leave a place a little bit wiser and in Jameson's case (a little bit tipsy) having learned something. Properly guided tours will do that for you and at Jameson's it’s very well done, just the right length of time and information to hold your attention, finishing up with a genuinely, convivial tasting session in the Jameson's Bar.

Perhaps, when you understand how something is made you appreciate it more? It’s quite amazing how three simple ingredients, barley, water and yeast can be turned into ‘uisce beatha’ or the water of life? And interesting too, how each of the processes, whether it was the malting of the barley, the marrying of the whiskey in casks or the vatting into bottles, shaped the lives and social history of such a small part of Dublin. Surely they could never have imagined Jameson's whiskey becoming the global phenomenon it is today.

Situated in an historical part of Dublin, Smithfield market is surrounded by cobbled streets. The original building is lovely with a theatre, bar, shop and restaurant, which seems to be very popular with ‘legal people’ (which must make for some great people watching) from the nearby Four Courts.


Old Jameson Distillery, Bow St, Smithfield, Dublin 7.


Phone 01-8072355 /Open 7 days a week


Admission Adult €13 Senior & Student €9.60 Family €29 (online discounts)


Website: www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/jamesons.html


By Susan Byron author of http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/index.html

How to tell a good Irish Coffee?

A good Irish coffee should look like a pint of Guinness? No seriously, there should be a cold, thick, firm, creamy head on top of the dark, clear, scalding hot, coffee and whiskey mixture. It definitely should not have mixed or curdled, if it has, send it back and insist on a proper one. Half the pleasure is sipping the hot coffee through a layer of cold cream.

Invented by chef Joe Sheridan in the bar of the Foynes Flyingboat Terminal in the 1940's to warm up damp cold passengers en route to the USA, it still does the trick on a wet miserable afternoon or as an after-dinner soother. Irish coffee recipe, fill a glass with strong black hot coffee, add sugar and Irish whiskey to taste, stir and let settle, drop in a good dollop of freshly whipped cream, the thicker the better and then it will not sink. Sip slowly in front of a blazing log fire with your feet up....

Baileys coffee is a modern variation, substitute Baileys for Whiskey as per the recipe above or for the quick and extremely popular version, just lash plenty of Baileys into your coffee when ever the opportunity arises....Slainte !

How to tell a good hot whiskey? Smell it, the fumes should knock you out (only joking) but you should get a nice steamy whiff of whiskey and cloves which is why it is so good for colds. Throw a Lemsip into it and you have a guaranteed cure for even the worst type of a flu....

Recipe for Hot whiskey, put a nice measure of Irish Whiskey into a strong glass, add a spoon of sugar and a small drop of boiling water, and a slice of lemon studded with cloves. As before sip slowly in front of a blazing log fire...or tucked up in bed with your head under the duvet like most of us, these days....

To find out more about the best brands of Irish Whiskey visit www.irelands-hidden-gems.com

SEE RECIPE - The best Irish coffee ever!