This October, the prestigious Irish Whiskey Awards event was held in the family-owned Dingle Distillery in County Kerry, Ireland to recognise, celebrate and award established bars and Irish distilleries in the country. Being held annually for the last 7 years, the award event celebrates the best of the best in the Irish whiskey industry.
The event this year not only promoted the Irish liquor, especially whiskey, industry but also did its philanthropic bit to raise funds for Mary’s Meals, a charity programme that provides free school meals to children in the poorest of regions of the world.
Renowned Master Distiller of the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world – ‘Bushmills Distillery’ of Ireland, Colum Egan was invited to be the keynote speaker for this edition of the ceremony. He also presented awards to the winning spirits and bars under 20 categories.
The Irish Whiskey Awards had The World’s 50 Best Bars and Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards winner The Dead Rabbit New York Irish bar winning the Best International Irish Whiskey Bar award this year.
The top winners to emerge were:
- Best Irish Whiskey of the Year – The Irishman 17-Year-Old
- Best Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey – Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
- Best New Irish Whiskey – Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year – Bowe’s, Dublin
- Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International) – The Dead Rabbit, New York
There were no doubts about Bowe’s’ win. Whiskey enthusiasts consider Bowe’s a home away from home. The bar is known for its excellent service and learned bartenders.
The spirit winners were judged by a session of blind tasting by the members of the prominent Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society and Cork Whiskey Society. And the nominated bars were voted by the club and society members and renowned experts, where the bars with the most votes emerged as the winners.
You can see the whole list of winners in all the categories here.
