Galway: Micil Distillery Gin, Poitín & Whiskey Tasting

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration1h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Inside Galway's Only Working Distillery: Three Tastings & 300 Years of Poitín

You'll tour Galway's only working distillery, hear the true story of poitín and the family who made it illegally for generations, and taste three award-winning spirits — poitín, whiskey and gin — made right there in the building. A professional guide leads you through the process and the history, and you leave with a real understanding of what makes Micil different. Bring a jacket and plan for about two hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Galway's working distillery

Enter Micil Distillery in Galway
Learn history of poitín and whiskey
Hear family stories of illicit past
Experience sights and sounds of distillery
Participate in guided tastings of spirits

The Experience

There's something magnetic about walking into a place where spirits are actually being made — where you can smell the work happening, see the copper stills catching the light, and know that what you're tasting was distilled in the room next to you. Micil Distillery in Galway pulls you into that world, and it starts with the story nobody expects: poitín, Ireland's original spirit, was illegal here for over three centuries. Your guide takes you through that history — the daring, the humor, the family's own illicit past — starting from the hills of South Connemara where the founder first distilled in secret, all the way to today's distillery, now run by his great-great-great-grandson.

The tour itself moves through a working distillery, which means you're not just looking at equipment behind glass. You see the copper stills, smell the fermentation, hear the actual process of how poitín, whiskey and gin are made here. Three guided tastings are built into the experience — poitín first, then whiskey, then gin — each one from Micil's award-winning portfolio, each one made on-site. The guide doesn't just pour; they explain what makes each spirit distinct, what the family's techniques are, why the water and the craft matter. It's hands-on in the way that matters: you're tasting and learning at the same time, not sitting through a lecture.

The distillery can run cool, so bring a jacket. There's a gift shop if you want to take something home, and the whole experience is built for anyone curious about spirits and Irish heritage — no special fitness level needed. Public transport gets you there, and if you're under 18, you can still do the tour; you just won't taste. The minimum age for tasting is 18.

What’s included

Your experience includes a professional tour guide leading you through the working distillery, three guided tastings of poitín, whiskey and gin made on-site, and access to the gift shop. The tour covers the history of poitín, the family's story from South Connemara to today, and how each spirit is crafted.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Micil Distillery

Is this one for you?Right for anyone drawn to Irish history and how spirits are actually made, especially if you want to understand poitín's real story without arranging a separate tasting or history lesson — the guide and the distillery do both at once.