The Irish Whiskey Distillery With A Historical Connection To The Titanic

While plenty of whiskey distilleries offer tours and dole out drams of whiskey to eager visitors, Titanic Distillers in Ireland offers a unique experience. The distillery is located at the same site where the infamous Titanic was built, so both distillery workers and visitors alike walk in the footsteps of history while perusing whiskey-making equipment and sampling spirits. Not only is Titanic Distillers situated at the historic Thompson Dock — the last place the Titanic sat on dry land — but the operation also boasts the claim of being Belfast's first working whiskey distillery in nearly 90 years. 

Though prohibition in the 1930s halted Belfast's whiskey production, Titanic Distillers has reintroduced whiskey culture by focusing on distilling premium single-malt whiskey. Bottles of its whiskey deliver notes of vanilla, peat smoke, and spice. Titanic Distillers also distills vodka with sugar beet and spring water should visitors want to stock up before leaving the premises.

The distillery offers a few options for visitors interested in learning more about the place. A Legacy Tour showcases the full operations, including the Gwynne Pumps, a collection of original contraptions found beneath the distillery; a Signature Tour leads guests through the distillery and Pumphouse; and a Premium Tour takes participants to the Thompson Graving Dock, where the Titanic ship was built. The graving dock, also known as a dry dock, is a ridged basin that can be filled with water so that ships can move in and out. Once drained, the setting allows workers the ability to repair and clean large ships. This particular dock can be traced back to 1911 and was the last one made in the shipyard. It was built specifically to handle the Olympic class of White Star liners, including the Titanic. After surveying the expansive space, visitors can return to the distillery to taste whiskey.

"Belfast is historically a whiskey distilling city, prohibition was the death knell for the industry, but now Irish Whiskey is the fastest growing drinks category in the world," head distiller Damien Rafferty is quoted as saying on the Titanic Distillers website. Irish whiskey can provide a mellow, smooth palate to sample, making the booze a lighter introduction to the world of whiskey for those looking to develop their palates.