Dublin Jameson centre in Smithfield has re-opened following an €11m makeover. The new look ‘Jameson Distillery Bow St, which was officially opened by Minister Paschal Donohoe today, will support the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy target of trebling the number of Irish whiskey tourists visiting Ireland annually, to 1.9m by 2025.
Three fully-guided tours are offered. ‘The Bow St. Experience tasting tour focuses on the stories of Jameson’s rich heritage and on-going innovations while ‘The Whiskey Makers’ and ‘The Whiskey Shakers’ experiences provide more in-depth whiskey and cocktail masterclasses, both including the opportunity to sample whiskey straight from a cask in the distillery’s new live maturation house.
Construction work began in September and was led by BRC Imagination Arts, Dublin based firm TOTP Architects and Flynn Management & Contractors, with approximately 100 people employed as part of the redevelopment work. BRC Imagination Arts is one of the world’s leading experience design and production agencies specialising in the creation of next generation brand experiences. Founded in 1981, past clients of BRC include the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta; the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam and the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
Minister Paschal Donohoe said: “Each year, over 600,000 tourists pass through Irish whiskey visitor centres to experience first-hand the heritage behind this time-honoured spirit and hear the stories of established and emerging distilleries. The Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy aims to treble this figure to 1.9 million visitors by 2025 and Jameson Distillery Bow St. will undoubtedly play a central role in delivering on this vision. Smithfield and its wider Dublin environs have a rich history and vibrant cultural scene which will also continue to attract and enthrall visitors from near and far.”
Jean-Christophe Coutures, Chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers said: “As the home of Jameson, Smithfield has an incredibly important place in our history. We’ve grown up on Bow Street and welcomed over 4 million whiskey lovers through our doors since the opening of the Old Jameson Distillery brand home in 1997. With this latest investment, we place storytelling at the core of the visitor experience, drawing on state of the art technology to bring the 230-year history of Bow Street to life, with a variety of tour options to cater for everyone – from those who may be discovering Jameson Irish whiskey for the very first time, to long-standing Jameson enthusiasts who are seeking to further their understanding of this much-loved spirit. The success of Irish whiskey is a success story for Ireland and we look forward to welcoming whiskey-lovers from across the globe and sharing our story with them.”
Ray Dempsey, who has been General Manager at the Jameson brand home in Smithfield since its opening in 1997, said: “We have had the privilege of calling Bow Street home since 1780 and we’re delighted with our new makeover. Visitors can look forward to immersive storytelling where they will be invited to touch, smell and most importantly, taste Jameson in the original Bow St. Distillery building. As Smithfield continues to experience a cultural resurgence, we’re incredibly excited to be part of this thriving community and look forward to being here long into the future.”
The former Old Jameson Centre was eventually Ireland’s 35th most visitor attraction, achieving 193,000 visits in 2003, 196,000 in 2004, 204,000 in 2005, 220,000 in 2006, 2210,094 in 2007, 250,000 in 2008, 248,000 in 2009, 208,767 in 2010, 223,522 in 2011, 228,117 in 2012, 267,836 in 2013, 270,038 in 2014, and 282,056 in 2015.
Its predecessor, Whiskey Corner, was the venue for the launch of Travel Extra in 1995.
Tour Options at Jameson Distillery Bow St.
The Bow St. Experience €18
The Bow St. Experience brings the stories of Jameson’s rich heritage to life in an immersive, 40-minute tasting tour of the home of Ireland’s best-selling Irish whiskey. Discover how John Jameson’s focus on quality ingredients, triple distillation process, and constant innovation resulted in an exceptionally smooth whiskey that is celebrated around the globe. A Jameson Ambassador leads you in a comparative whiskey tasting . Your experience will conclude in JJ’s Bar.
Experience Includes:
- Fully guided tour
- 40 minutes in duration
- 30 participants
- Available 7 days
- Comparative whiskey tasting
- Complimentary drink in JJ’s Bar
The Whiskey Makers €55
The Whiskey Makers experience is a whiskey masterclass which provides a 90 minute, exploration of Jameson Original and the three whiskeys that make up the Whiskey Makers Series: Distiller’s Safe, Cooper’s Croze and Blender’s Dog. Each was developed by one of our Master whiskey Makers and represents their expression of a whiskey. One of the Jameson Ambassadors will guide you through a tasting experience that teaches you how to deconstruct the ingredients, craft and different flavour profiles of each whiskey. Most whiskey blenders spend decades learning their craft, so ninety minutes is a pretty handy shortcut. The whiskey tour continues into the Maturation Warehouse where you’ll have the rare opportunity to sample whiskey straight from the cask.
Experience Includes:
- Fully hosted experience
- 90 minutes in duration
- 16 participants
- Available 7 days
- Blending exercise
- Visit to Maturation Warehouse
The Whiskey Shakers €55
The 90-minute Whiskey Shakers experience is a cocktail masterclass which immerses you in the world of Jameson whiskeys and explores the cocktails that have emerged from them. Your Jameson bartender will guide you through the history, ingredients and recipes of both world famous and freshly-minted Jameson cocktails. In the Shakers’ Room, you’ll be provided with all of the bar tools and ingredients required to turn the recipes into masterpieces. After sampling your new creations you’ll continue into the Maturation House where you’ll have the rare opportunity to sample whiskey straight from the cask.
Experience Includes:
- Fully hosted experience
- 90 minutes in duration
- 16 participants
- Available 7 days
- Blending exercise
- Visit to Maturation Warehouse
To book tickets for Jameson Distillery Bow St., visit www.jamesonwhiskey.com
