Among the breweries of Mayo, Mescan Brewery stands out with its establishment in 2013 in the foothills of Croagh Patrick near Westport. This operation focuses on Belgian-style beers that include Westport Blond at 4.8 per cent alcohol by volume, Seven Virtues Lager at 4.8 per cent, Mescan Gold Óir at 5.7 per cent, Westport Saison at 5.8 per cent, Seven Virtues Carnal Knowledge at 7.1 per cent, Westport Red Tripel at 8 per cent, Westport Extra at 8.5 per cent, and Special Reserve at 8.6 per cent.
These beers rely on age-old Belgian methods combined with Irish ingredients, remain unfiltered and unpasteurised, suit vegan preferences, and mature over two to three months to develop deeper flavours and smoother profiles, while pairing well with meats, fish, pastas, salads, cheeses, or desserts, and earning awards along the way.
Another brewery in the area, Reel Deel Brewery, began in 2014 in Crossmolina. It produces ales and stouts in small batches of 1600 litres, drawing on locally sourced ingredients that incorporate hops grown at Enniscoe House, and ages some beers in whiskey casks recently emptied from the distillery in Ballina to impart distinct flavours, with the range securing awards for its quality.
On the distillery side, Ballina Whiskey Distillery, formerly known as Connacht Distillery, opened in 2015 in Ballina on the banks of the River Moy. As the first distillery in Mayo in 150 years, it crafts single malt whiskeys such as Dúbailte and Triarach through double and triple distillation in small batches using entirely Irish malted barley, alongside gin, vodka, and poitin. Achill Island Distillery operates in Bunnacurry on Achill Island, representing one of the few Irish-owned and family-run facilities in the country and the first on an island.
It distils premium Irish whiskeys, including two award-winning varieties under the IrishAmerican label, and offers the Mayo Mojito cocktail, with water drawn from Lough Corrymore as the highest mountain lake in Europe filtered through quartz sandstone and amethyst crystal, benefiting from the micro-climate of wild Atlantic waves, sea air, and moderate temperatures for maturation, under guidance from a renowned distiller.
Lough Mask Distillery commenced in 2018 in Tourmakeady on the shores of Lough Mask. This site produces whiskey with a focus on its lakeside setting that supports the distillation process and visitor experiences. Nephin Distillery started in 2014 in Lahardane between the Nephin Mountains and Lough Conn. It aims to create peated single malt whiskey and poitin using local barley, mountain water, and turf for malting to revive traditional practices in the region.
Craft Brewing & Distilling county by county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Dining
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Restaurant awards
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow – Overall – County winners – Georgina Campbell – Good Food Ireland – Michelin Star
County Mayo:
Ireland’s county Mayo offers dramatic scenery and ancient heritage, with the Cliffs of Moher’s rugged beauty and Croagh Patrick’s pilgrimage trail providing stunning vistas. The town of Westport features Georgian architecture and access to Clew Bay’s islands, while the Ceide Fields showcase a prehistoric farming landscape. Other attractions include the celebrity beaches of Achill Island. Mayo is Ireland’s third largest county by size (5,398 square km) and 18th largest by population (137,970). Population peaked at 388,887 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 109,525 in 1971. In terms of hospitality, Mayo is Ireland’s tenth most visited tourist county with around 218,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
