Dublin Liberties Distillery
A €10 million distillery in an old Dublin mill and tannery, with production paused since May 2025.
The Liberties is the old, rowdy heart of Dublin, a part of the city with a long history of making things, brewing things and getting into trouble. Dublin Liberties Distillery sits in the middle of it, in a renovated mill and tannery on Mill Street that is said to be around 400 years old. It…
At a glance
House style & flavour profile
Irish whiskey from the easy-going Dubliner to older Dublin Liberties bottlings.
History
The full guide to Dublin Liberties Distillery
The Liberties is the old, rowdy heart of Dublin, a part of the city with a long history of making things, brewing things and getting into trouble. Dublin Liberties Distillery sits in the middle of it, in a renovated mill and tannery on Mill Street that is said to be around 400 years old. It cost about €10 million to turn into a whiskey distillery and visitor attraction. It is also, since May 2025, a distillery whose production is paused, which makes it one of the more awkward chapters of the Irish whiskey boom.
Who owns Dublin Liberties Distillery?
Quintessential Brands, the drinks company behind The Dubliner, bought the Mill Street site in 2016 and opened the distillery in 2019. That makes it a corporate distillery rather than a family one: a brand company that built itself a home, not a distiller that grew into a brand. For the wider picture, see our guide to who owns what in whisky.
The history of Dublin Liberties Distillery
The building is the star. It was a mill and then a tannery, and it is said to have survived the Great Dublin Fire of 1875. Quintessential Brands spent around €10 million renovating it, keeping the original architecture, and the visitor experience opened to the public on 25 February 2019 with Darryl McNally as Master Distiller. A bar and a tour came with it, and the whiskey came in two families: The Dubliner, the flagship, and The Dublin Liberties, the older and pricier range.
Then the market turned. In May 2025 the company paused production, and closed the visitor centre on 20 May, blaming “the headwinds in the whiskey sector” and saying it was committed to reopening soon. It was not alone: other big names in Irish whiskey paused production that year too. Press coverage said the company would concentrate on core brands such as The Dubliner, and that a tourism relaunch timed with Dublin’s 1,050th anniversary in 2026 was under consideration, though nothing was confirmed. The Distiller’s Lounge has since reopened.
How Dublin Liberties is made
Dublin Liberties is a distillery with a clear idea of what it wants to be, a visitor-friendly city centre operation, and rather less public detail about the kit inside it. The company’s website has described capacity of more than 700,000 litres a year.
A spring in the middle of the city
The distillery draws on a natural spring on site, according to the company, which is a rare thing to be able to say in the middle of Dublin. Beyond the water, details of the stills and the mash have not been widely published.
Two families of whiskey
The Dubliner is the easy-going flagship, with bourbon cask, beer cask and smoked variations. The Dublin Liberties range is the grown-up end: Copper Alley at 10 years old, Murder Lane at 13, Keeper’s Coin at 16 and the rare King of Hell at 27. The distillery only opened in 2019, so whiskeys of that age must be older stock brought in rather than spirit made at Mill Street. That is standard practice for a new distillery, and it is worth knowing when you read the label. Our guide to reading a whisky label explains what to look for.
The Dublin Liberties range
- The Dubliner Bourbon Cask: the flagship, listed at €29 (about £24).
- The Dubliner Oak+ Smoke, Old Fashioned Beer Cask and Smoked Stout Beer Cask: each listed at €35 (about £29).
- Liberties Oak Devil and Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey: each listed at €49 (about £41).
- Liberties Copper Alley 10 Year Old: listed at €60 (about £50).
- Liberties Murder Lane 13 Year Old: listed at €180 (about £151).
- Liberties Keeper’s Coin 16 Year Old: listed at €380 (about £319), with the 27 Year Old King of Hell available on request.
- Liqueurs: Dubliner Honeycomb and Fiery, each €25 (about £21), plus a range of cream liqueurs.
These are euro prices from the distillery’s Irish online shop in early November 2026, converted roughly to sterling. UK retailer prices will differ, so shop around. New to the category? Start with our beginner’s guide to Irish whiskey.
Visiting Dublin Liberties Distillery
The distillery is at 33 Mill Street, Dublin 8, D08 V221. The Distiller’s Lounge is open Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30am to 5pm, for coffee, whiskey flights and bottles to take home, and there is a shop for merchandise, glassware and gift cards. The distillery’s website still lists a guided tour and whiskey tasting, about an hour long and from €20, but the distillery has said on social media that tours remain closed, so check before you go. You can reach the distillery on +353 1 410 0380.
Dublin Liberties Distillery: quick answers
Who owns Dublin Liberties Distillery?
Quintessential Brands, the company behind The Dubliner. It bought the site in 2016 and opened the distillery in 2019.
Where is Dublin Liberties Distillery?
At 33 Mill Street in the Liberties, Dublin 8, in a renovated mill and tannery said to be around 400 years old.
Is Dublin Liberties Distillery still making whiskey?
Production was paused in May 2025 and the company said it was committed to reopening. The Dubliner and Dublin Liberties whiskeys are still sold.
Can you visit Dublin Liberties Distillery?
The Distiller’s Lounge is open Tuesday to Saturday. Tours were listed on the website but have been reported as closed, so check with the distillery before you go.
What is The Dubliner?
The flagship Irish whiskey brand of Quintessential Brands, with bourbon cask, beer cask and smoked variations.
Thomas Grønvold is the founder of Caskable and a whisky enthusiast who believes the best way to learn about whisky is simply to drink it, compare it, and stay curious. From supermarket favourites to bottles from distilleries around the world, he writes about what he actually tastes and experiences, without pretending you need to be an expert to enjoy a good dram.
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