Irish Whiskey Society upcoming events

SMWS. WITH Chocolate. (06 Aug 2026)

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

For our August tasting, we will have a wonderful pairing of whiskeys from the SMWS in Scotland and organic chocolates from Manna organic store in Tralee. Join us for a tasting that will be an experience of unique whiskeys, enhanced by varied and wonderful chocolates. Our sense of taste will be taken to new places of discovery understanding the complexities required in maturing great whiskies from different distilleries, into different casks, for different time periods, resulting in wonderful products for us to enjoy.

Dunvilles will be represented as well as Deanston distillery which produces organic whiskey. Let's journey together to far away shores such as Ecuador and Madagascar and explore what whiskey might pair with dark chocolate and raspberry or mint. Chocolates with exceptional organic ingredients have been carefully chosen to enhance and complement the chosen whiskeys of the evening. What might a caramel and sea salt chocolate pair with? What tasting notes might a 60% eight-year-old whiskey from the Highland region hold in store? Come along and find out as our very own Con Collins will present a fabulous tasting of whiskey & chocolate.

Some of us are familiar with the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society or SMWS, formed in Leith, Edinburgh in 1983 by Pip Hills and indeed some of us are also members of that society and have attended a couple of notable previous tastings of their whiskey, not to mention an excellent evening with Charles MacLean here in the town.

Since being formed in 1983, they have believed in doing things differently. As unconventional whisky experts they seek out whisky in its purest form, prize flavour above everything else and give each bottling a curious name. They’re united and constant in their passion – to share the world’s best whiskies, to bring them to life, and to make members proud to belong to the world’s most colourful whisky club.

The exploration of flavour and sharing their discoveries is what they’re all about. Members enjoy exclusive access to whiskies hand-picked by their expert Tasting Panel, from over 140 distilleries in Scotland and beyond, bottled at cask strength and offering a constant variety. How you drink them is entirely up to you.

For further information about the SMWS, just feel free to peruse their own website at https://smws.eu/

Whiskey Tasted

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

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 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 Two Cut Single Malt
Thomson South Island Peated Single Malt
(Insert 2–3 additional lineup/cask samples here)

Booking opens on Thursday XXth 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