History

The Dublin Liberties Distillery was established in 2019 with the aim of keeping the spirit and fire of The Liberties alive through whiskey and storytelling. Located in the heart of Dublin's historic distilling quarter, the building on Mill Street bears traces of Liberties' former industrial life. The area was known as “Hell” — an expressive zone outside the city walls where distilleries, breweries and crafts mixed with the people and history of the city. We honour this rich, raw and rebellious heritage by letting stories and culture become part of the whiskey and the experience we offer. The building, dating back to the 18th century, is a symbol of Liberties' history and craftsmanship, and Dublin Liberties Distillery works to preserve the city’s spirit and history in a modern, publicly accessible format. Since opening in 2019, the focus has been on preserving Liberties' spirit through storytelling, collaboration with local talent and a whiskey portfolio ranging from craft expressions to long-aged single malts.

Production / Manufacturing

Production Techniques and Capacity

• The distillery has a 2-tun mash tun and capacity to hold 100,000 litres of wash in fermentation tanks.
• Three-ring distillation setup: 10,000 litre wash still and 6,000 litre mid- and spirit stills.
• Total capacity to produce over 500,000 litres of new make spirit annually.
• Ingredients and process: 100% Irish malt, sourced from local farmers across Ireland, and water from our own source as part of the mash; use of specific yeast strains.
• Maturation and casks: whiskey matures in carefully selected casks and is monitored by a dedicated team until it is ready. While Irish whiskey is legally required to be aged for at least three years, our premium expressions mature longer and finish in different cask types to develop a complex character.

Products and ranges

The whiskey portfolio is inspired by the stories and streets of Liberties. Since opening in 2019 we have focused on keeping Liberties' spirit alive; from the liquid in the bottle to the stone in the walls, everything is anchored in Liberties' folklore and history. Our lineup spans from the Dubliner expressions to the Liberties series, and each product carries the place's history with it.

Products / Whiskey Series

Liberties Oak Devil (Irish Single Malt)

• Style: Irish Single Malt
• Age: 5 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon cask
• ABV: 46%
• Tasting notes: The nose offers baked apples, hay and brown sugar; the palate seduces with toffee apples, apple fritters and caramel; the finish provides warm spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon.

Liberties Copper Alley (Irish Single Malt)

• Style: Irish Single Malt
• Age: 10 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon, finished in ex-oloroso sherry cask
• ABV: 46%
• Tasting notes: The nose holds honey and apple blossom with dried red fruits; the palate develops deep fruit notes and a long, dark chocolate finish.

Liberties Murder Lane (Irish Single Malt)

• Style: Irish Single Malt
• Age: 13 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon, finished in Tokaji Hungarian oak
• ABV: 46%
• Tasting notes: Notes of coconut, toffee and honeydew melon; a light beginning with vanilla and pear; darker notes unfold with water; finish of biscuits and pineapple peel.

Liberties Keeper’s Coin (Irish Single Malt)

• Style: Irish Single Malt
• Age: 16 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon, finished in PX cask (Pedro Ximénez)
• ABV: 46%
• Tasting notes: The nose offers cinnamon and vanilla with blackcurrant jelly; the palate has dark chocolate, desiccated coconut and toffee; finish with spice and wood.

Liberties King of Hell (Irish Single Malt)

• Style: Double-distilled Irish whiskey, later finished in Bordeaux Premier Cru cask
• Age: 27 years
• Wood: Bourbon cask, finished in Bordeaux Premier Cru cask
• ABV: 46%
• Tasting notes: Aroma of barbecued banana and baked apples; the palate has coconut and leather, caramelized sugar and a strong oak presence; finish warm and long with wood and wine notes.

Dubliner Bourbon Cask Irish Whiskey

• Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
• Age: 3 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon cask
• ABV: 40%
• Tasting notes: Develops malt and vanilla-, fruit- and honey notes; versatile neat, on the rocks or in cocktails.

Dubliner Smoked Stout Beer Cask Irish Whiskey

• Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
• Age: 3 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon cask; finished in ex-Dubliner Beer cask, which previously held a smoked stout
• ABV: 40%
• Tasting notes: Rich malt fullness with pronounced smoke; notes of freshly baked oat cookies, honey and cinnamon.

Dubliner Old Fashioned Beer Cask Irish Whiskey

• Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
• Age: 3 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon cask; finished in ex-Dubliner Beer cask, giving a marmalade-like citrus balance
• ABV: 40%
• Tasting notes: Spicy and citrus-driven, with notes of a classic Old Fashioned profile.

Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey

• Style: Blended Irish Whiskey
• Age: 5 years
• Wood: Ex-bourbon cask; finished in virgin American oak cask
• ABV: 44%
• Tasting notes: The nose lingers with cedar and vanilla; the palate offers dark chocolate, orange and oak; finish with baked cake and spices.

In addition, the portfolio also includes world premieres and liqueur variants such as Feeney’s Irish Cream and Dubliner Honeycomb/Fiery, which are integrated into the range and marketed together with the whiskey expressions.

Visits and Experiences

Distillery Tour

• A fully guided distillery tour with a whiskey tasting at the heart of the experience.
• Duration: approximately 45 minutes.
• Price: from €18 per person.
• Age restriction: 18+ for tastings (under 18 may participate in the tour with an adult).
• What’s included: Welcome drink (Dubliner Honeycomb Liqueur), guided tour, whiskey tasting, Distillers Bar and whiskey gift shop.

Planning your visit and facilities

• Opening hours: Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00, Mon–Tue 11:00–16:00; Café & Shop in the same hours.
• Location: The Dublin Liberties Distillery, Mill Street 33, Dublin 8.
• Accessibility: The entire distillery is wheelchair accessible with ramps, an elevator to the production floor, and accessible toilets.
• Shop and café available in the same area as the tour.
• Events: Opportunity to hire for events through a three-part plan system (Boardroom, Tannery Bar, Blender’s Bar) and often includes the tour and tasting as part of the experience.

Upcoming and past events

• Events such as Irish Coffee Masterclass and Stories from the Liberties with different hosts and guests, as well as collaborations with local partners and artists.

Philosophy / Approach

Liberties’ heritage and storytelling

The Dublin Liberties Distillery builds on Liberties' history as an area known for its history as a place of rebels and creative energies. The slogan Dark Alleys, Rich Spirits, Untold Stories emphasizes an approach where whiskey is not just a product, but a collection of stories and characters from the city’s streets. The whiskey portfolio bears the names and soul of Liberties' streets and tells a historical narrative through its flavors.

Sustainability and local engagement

Sustainability is central to operations: waste mash and pot ale are returned to local farms as feed, and the process uses heat recovery to increase energy efficiency. LED lighting and motion sensors are used to minimize energy use, and the distillery is designed with a lower environmental footprint in mind.

In addition, we support local talents through events and collaborations with artists, musicians, and creatives in the Liberties area, and the bar and events space serves as a platform for local creativity and expression.