Irish Whiskey Society upcoming events

Bring a Friend to (Whiskey) School (27 Aug 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Bring a Friend to (Whiskey) School

27th August 2026 — Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin 1

Dear Members,

For the next tasting, we have decided to help spread the love of irish whiskey a little bit further by holding a tasting specially designed for members to bring guests to an IWS Event.

That's right, if you have a daughter, son, significant other, friend, colleague or partner in crime who is interested in whiskey or the Irish Whiskey Society, they are more than welcome to join in on this tasting, which will also be discounted compared to the normal ticket price.

The tasting will open with a welcome drink before discussing and tasting the most common categories of Irish whiskey on the market, to help people find the style or styles they like the most.

There will also be a take home gift at the end from our friends at Two Stacks.

The whiskeys were all chosen specifically because they are not only good representatives of the different options, but they are also widely available and reasonably priced so guests can pick up a bottle of their favourite (or favourites!) after the tasting.

The following whiskeys will be on the mat:

Blend: Jameson Black Barrel
Single Malt: Bushmills 10
Peated Malt: Midnight Silkie
Grain: Jack Ryan
Pot still: Boann Legacy
Cask Strength: Redbreast 12

Booking opens on the 4th of August at 7.00 pm. There will be no limit to the amount of guests a member can bring, so be sure to spread the word and bring along anyone who is interested. Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.

Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events

IWS Dingle: Unlocking McConnell’s New Chapter (04 Sep 2026)

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Unlocking McConnell’s New Chapter

Dear Members,

McConnell’s Irish Whisky is a historic spirit brand originally established in Belfast in 1776 by Hugh McConnell. After closing in the early 20th century the iconic brand was revived in 2020 with a state-of-the-art distillery and visitor experience, occupying the A-Wing of the Crumlin Road Gaol in North Belfast.

The tasting will highlight the two key ingredients of whisk(e)y making - quality of distillate and meticulous cask management. McConnell's core range is currently sourced liquid, but their skill in cask management has produced outstanding results. We will be trying the newest edition of their 5 Year Old Series, a Cognac finish blend, moving on to a side by side of the Oloroso 5YO finish and a cask strength version.

We journey from cask management to distillate and sample their new make - a vibrant fruity distillate with berry tones. We then sample this new make aged in barrels but not yet for release to compare the progress in wood.

And lastly, we will sample the 20YO Old Cromac single malt, a limited edition with only 300 bottles released. Matured for 19 years in bourbon barrels and with its final year in Tawny Port casks. This won Best Irish Single Cask Single Malt and Best Single Cask Overall in the World Whiskies Awards and is a cracking way to finish the tasting.

We will be joined on the night by Graeme Millar Master Distiller.

The line up of 6 samples are:

McConnell's 5-Year-Old Cognac Cask Finish 46% ABV
McConnell's 5-Year-Old Sherry Cask Finish 46% ABV
McConnell's 5-Year-Old Sherry Cask Finish, Cask Sample ??% ABV
McConnell's New Make 50%
McConnell’s new make September 2024 cask sample 62.5%
McConnels 20 YO Old Cromac 48%

Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.

N.B. No admittance to persons under the age of 18.

Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events

Irish Rum Society Takeover (10 Sep 2026)

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Irish Rum Society Takeover

10th September 2026 — Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin 1, Hosted by Sean Skelly

Dear Members,

Much like whiskey, rum offers a remarkable diversity of raw materials, production techniques, and maturation styles—each contributing to a spectrum of complex and characterful spirits. Yet despite its depth, rum has long remained underappreciated. That’s about to change.

Here at the Irish Whiskey Society we appreciate people who appreciate spirits. When our good friends at the Irish Rum Society suggested a collaboration, we said why not just take over for a night? The IWS is delighted to partner with the Irish Rum Society for a special one-night takeover event. On Thursday, 10 September, Wynn’s Hotel will play host to an exceptional guided tasting led by Irish Rum Society founder, Sean Skelly.

Guests will experience a curated lineup of seven outstanding rums from the Caribbean. This selection includes rare releases, single cask expressions, and bottles not otherwise available in Ireland—making this a truly unique opportunity for spirits enthusiasts.

Tasting Line-Up:

Worthy Park 10 Year Old Calvados Finish Limited Edition (Jamaica, 45% ABV)
El Dorado 2010 Diamond Port Mourant Uitvlugt (Guyana, 49.6% ABV)
Single Barrel Selection 13 Year Old 2011 (Belize, 52% ABV)
Foursquare 2009 12 Year Old Exceptional Cask Selection (Barbados, 60% ABV)
Clairin Vaval 2022 Rum (53.5% ABV)
Neisson Blanc Rhum Agricole NAS (Martinique 52.5% ABV)
Hampden Estate Pagos (Batch 2, 52% ABV)

None of these rums have been sweetened, spiced, or ‘liquor adjusted’ below 40% abv. They represent pure, authentic expressions of the spirit—far removed from the ’spirit drinks’ that have given rum the reputation of being mostly for mixing.

This is a great chance to explore premium rum in its truest form, guided by one of Ireland’s foremost rum experts. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or category-curious, this promises to be an engaging and memorable tasting. Join us for an evening that shines a spotlight on the craftsmanship, diversity, and excellence of rum.

Sean Skelly, Founder of the Irish Rum Society

Booking opens on Monday 10th of August at 7.00pm. Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.

Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events

(IWS Dublin) Irish Whiskey Awards Judging 2026 (12 Sep 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:30:00 GMT

Irish Whiskey Awards Judging Days

12th & 19th of September 2024

Doyle's Corner Pub, 160/161 Phibsborough Rd, Dublin 7, D07R26N

Dear Members,

Our friends at Irish Whiskey Awards have kindly extended us some invites to this year's judging process. This will be an in-person event and there are two dates to choose from, so please ensure you register for the correct day. Since slots are limited and the event is free of charge, please only register for one session only to allow other members the opportunity to sign-up.

Details below:

When: 12th & 19th of September

Time: 12:00 - 3:00 PM

Judges will be able to blind taste 2-3 different categories of whiskey in the tasting session. Water, glassware, score-sheets, spittoons etc. will all be provided.

As with all years, there various guidelines and criteria in place: no more than 1cl measures of each whiskey per taster; we encourage the use of spittoons and drinking plenty of water; take breaks between categories and if you start the judging of a category, you must score every whiskey in that category in the same sitting, otherwise all scores for that section will be void.

The score sheets must be returned to the Celtic Whiskey Shop staff member supervising before a taster leaves.

Please choose just one date that you are sure you can attend.

Thank you,

IWS Event Team

New Wave New Zealand: An Evening with Thomson Whisky (22 Sep 2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT

New Wave New Zealand: An Evening with Thomson Whisky

22nd September (Tuesday) 2025, Wynn's Hotel, Dublin 1

Dear Members,

For this month’s tasting, the Events team is taking you on a journey to the southern hemisphere as we explore the dynamic world of New Zealand craft whisky! We are thrilled to welcome the Mat from Thomson Whisky for an exclusive look at the pioneer of New Zealand’s modern whisky movement.

Hailed as the first of the new wave of New Zealand distilleries, Thomson Whisky is currently NZ’s most awarded whisky distillery. Driven by a passion for traditional methods adapted for contemporary ends, Thomson focuses strictly on quality over volume—utilising what is in abundance around them to capture "New Zealand in a glass."

From local grain to native wood, Thomson’s obsession with local materials and climate has reshaped modern whisky making. Notably, their signature Manuka Smoke single malt has introduced a brand-new, native smoke profile to the global whisky market that you won't experience anywhere else in the world.

Join us as we explore Thomson's core range of premium single malts and discover how creativity, local craft, and total respect for the process are shaping one of the world's most exciting whisky frontiers.

The following will be on the mat:

Thomson Manuka Smoke Single Malt
Thomson Cask Martin
Thomson South Island Peated Single Malt
Thomson Full Noise
Thomson Quercus Alba
Thomson Triple Tipple

Booking opens on Thursday 20th of August at 7.00pm. Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.

Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events

IWS Dingle: When Scotch came to Town (02 Oct 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT

When Scotch Came to Town

After a very short absence, Scotch will make a welcome return to Dingle, after the recent tour de force from Con Collins and the SMWS.

We look forward to returning to An Bothar pub in Cuas where we had an excellent whiskey & food pairing earlier in the year. A beautiful venue for a tasting to welcome in the Dingle Food & Wine Festival that weekend.

This time however, we will explore two distilleries which may not be so familiar to some people, Arran distillery and Glen Allachie distillery. Both of these distillerys, one on an island and one from Speyside are relative newcomers to the Scottish whiskey scene given its rich history.

On December 16, 1994 Construction began on Arran distillery in Lochranza, at the north end of the island. However, Building was shortly halted to allow a pair of golden eagles to nest high in the hills above. The eagles have become a big part of the distillery and come back most years to nest. They can sometimes be seen flying high above the distillery and have been reported to make several 'fly pasts' on big occasions. The very first spirit came off the stills on June 29, 1995. The distillery has gone on to provide a superb single malt, with sublime finishes some of which we will get to taste on the evening.

Construction on Glen Allachie distillery commenced in 1967 and the distillery opened its doors in 1968. In 2017, the legendary Billy Walker came on board after selling his beloved and legendary Glendronach distillery to Brown Foreman. Just 9 months later, the very first range of single malts were released by the Speyside distillery. In 2022, Billy celebrated his 50th year in the whiskey industry and the distillery has grown exponentially since then supplying some abslutely superb whiskey to the masses, some of which we will taste on the evening.

Booking opens immediately. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking. No spaces available? Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event.

N.B. No admittance to persons under 18 years of age

As usual, there will be a bus provided to take attendees to the event. This bus will depart John Benny's pub, Strand Street at 18.45 on the evening and return when the tasting is over.

Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events