Tourism Ireland has launched a campaign celebrating 700 years of whiskey distilling in Ireland, showcasing the craft, local ingredients, and the cultural landscapes that have influenced the whiskey-making tradition.
With over 30 distilleries on the island, the campaign aims to attract more than the 800,000 holidaymakers who visited whiskey distillery experiences in 2023 by promoting unique tours and interactive tastings.
A promotional video highlights iconic distilleries such as Bushmills and Teeling, and will be shared on various social and digital platforms to reach a global audience.
Emphasising Ireland’s rich distilling history, the campaign seeks to position the country as a premier whiskey tourism destination, encouraging travelers to visit and experience the depth of Ireland’s whiskey culture and stunning scenery.
Elmagh Killeen, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Brand & Marketing Communications, said: “Ireland has a remarkable distilling heritage dating back 700 years to the Red Book of Ossory – the first known written record of ‘aqua vitae’, meaning water of life, was noted in the ancient 1324 manuscript. ‘Aqua vitae’ became ‘uisce beatha’ in the Irish language, which eventually translated to ‘fuisce’ or ‘whiskey’ as we know it today. This new campaign provides an opportunity to leverage that extraordinary history, promoting Ireland as a leading global whiskey tourism destination.
Tourism Ireland is also partnering with Ireland’s whiskey visitor experiences and attractions through the Irish Whiskey Association to bring this campaign to life and inspire holidaymakers, from whiskey aficionados to those curious about the people and landscape that define the distilling process, to visit Ireland in 2025 and beyond.”
