In 2008, Bushmills celebrates 400 years of local distilling history…a unique, unbroken whiskey-making tradition still very much alive today at the Old Bushmills Distillery. Just two miles from the spectacular Giant’s Causeway, the distillery lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty which is rich in history and folklore.

At Bushmills, the visitor can observe the craft and skills of making Irish whiskey. The guided tour includes the ingredients and processes, spring water from Saint Columb’s Rill and the finest malted barley, to the art of triple distillation in copper stills and ageing in oak casks. Of course, no visit would be complete without enjoying a complimentary glass of Bushmills whiskey.

Today, Bushmills is a well known name for smooth, distinctive Irish whiskey. The whiskey maturing process takes time, between five and thirty years depending on the blend. Often there are around 171,000 barrels on site maturing. Recent accolades include a review by the New York Times in 2006 describing Bushmills 10 year Malt as “the best Irish whiskey”.

Children under 8 are welcome to visit the Distillery but are not permitted to join guided tours.
Groups of 15 or more, telephone to arrange your visit.

Due to the high demand of places on the guided tours there may be occasions when all tour places sell out early. Tour places are sold on a first come first serve basis and cannot be purchased in advance.*

Bushmills was the last stop for carriages from Belfast before the final push to the Causeway. Passengers got out to revive themselves here at the world’s oldest legal whiskey distillery, in business since 1608. Tours and tastings, café, shops.

The name means the rock in the road (or casting). For centuries salmon fishermen threw a rope bridge across
the scary gap each spring to give access to their fishery on the island. Now they do it with helicopters. There’s always a steady stream of visitors keen to cross over the bridge. The trick is: don’t look down......