In search of whiskey

We got up on Tuesday and met Uncle Sam and Aunt Belle for a road trip to North Antrim, the Bushmills Distillery and the Antrim Coast. The Bushmills Distillery is located in the town of Bushmills and is the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Spirits have been distilled in the area since the 13^th century and were made legal by the granting of a distilling license to Bushmills in 1608.

The whiskey – spelled with an ‘e’ for the Irish and American drink but without for Scotch whisky – is truly an Irish product and all spirits made under the Bushmills name are created at this location. The barley comes from southern Ireland and the water flows in a river that passes next to the buildings.

We signed up for a walking tour through the plant which turned out to be somewhat typical of brewery tours, but great fun nonetheless. The high point was the distilling room, where 6 huge onion shaped copper pot stills boil the alcohol into steam, which is condensed and turned back into a liquid. This is done three times with Bushmills whiskey, unlike the single or double distillation of Bourbon and Scotch.

After the tour, but before our free sampling of whiskey, we drove to the town of Portrush for lunch – stopping at the Royal Court Hotel for their carvery (buffet).

On the way back to Bushmills we stopped at the Dunluce Castle – an enormous castle ruin on the edge of a cliff. The story goes that the McDonnell family who lived in the castle were eating one night when part of the kitchen area broke off and fell into the sea. The wife refused to stay in the home and the castle was abandoned. The site is enormous and great fun to wander around.

Back at Bushmills, Uncle Sam and I traded in our tour tickets for a free dram of Bushmills 12 year single malt Distillery Reserve. This is a special whiskey that is only available at the distillery. We loved it! So I bought a bottle to bring back home.

Uncle Sam followed the Antrim Coast road back towards Belfast where we stopped at the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge – now considered one of the UK’s most enjoyable attractions. The bridge was for years put up by local fisherman during salmon season to cross from the main land over to a large rock, around which the salmon schooled. A few years back, the National Trust took over the site and have now made it a park. We hiked a mile or so to the bridge site and went across. Great fun! A few people turned back and would not cross. If you have a fear of heights or bridges, this is not the attraction for you.

Wandering the coastal road took us through many of N. Ireland’s Glens and a many small coastal towns. Spectacular. Just north of Belfast, we stopped at one more castle in Carrickfergus – one of the most complete castles in Ireland.