Old Bushmills Distillery

In 1608, in Bushmills, a legend was born. In that year, King James I granted a very particular licence to this small village, just a few miles inland from Northern Ireland’s rugged north coast. The licence gave Bushmills the right to distil whiskey. Today, Bushmills is home to the oldest licenced whiskey distillery in the world. Over 400 years later, they’re still making whiskey in Bushmills. They’re still using Irish barley - and the unique water from their own stream too. Four centuries’ worth of craft and experience ensure that these whiskeys are amongst the most celebrated and the most savoured in the world. But as master distiller Colum Egan says, ‘we’re not good because we’re old, we’re old because we’re good’. To find out how they got to be so good, you’ll need to pay a visit, of course. You’ll soon see that they really couldn’t make their whiskey anywhere but here. You’ll be able to explore the terrain that imbues it with its legendary character. You’ll meet the people that safeguard centuries of knowledge. You’ll experience the practice of their craft first-hand. Along with the rich aromas and full-bodied flavours of Northern Ireland’s oldest working distillery. Yes, this is how 100% malted barley is triple-distilled to make single malt whiskey. You’ll witness the magic!

Bushmills