Irish whiskey is experiencing a revival unlike any other, with distilleries popping up all over the country. It’s a refreshing turn-around after the industry almost went extinct, but creates a unique challenge for whiskey enthusiasts traveling to Ireland: which distilleries are worth a stop? That’s an entirely different story, but in the meantime I’m here to tell you why Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin is worth a visit.
You may not have heard of Pearse Lyons Distillery. But trust me when I say that taking a tour should be on your Dublin To Do list. Not only is the distillery in a church (!) but I think their whiskey is one we’ll be talking about in the future.
My boyfriend and I spent a week traveling through Ireland visiting whiskey distilleries, so we saw the whole range of distillery sizes and types. And Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin is one we still talk about (while enjoying their 12 year old single malt!).
Why Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin is Worth a Visit
Yells Smells & Bells in Dublin’s Golden Triangle
Founded in 2017, Pearse Lyons Distillery calls Dublin’s Liberties district home, where 40 whiskey distilleries once thrived in a one-mile radius known as the Golden Triangle. It’s also home to several churches, inspiring the nickname Yells, Smells, & Bells. Yells from workers, bells from churches, and smells from the whiskey. But like most distilleries in Ireland, by 1975 they had all closed.
Today a revival is sweeping through the Golden Triangle, with several distilleries and breweries now open in the area. (Notable ones are Teeling Distillery and the Guinness Storefront.) The founder of Pearse Lyons Distillery, Dr. Pearse Lyons, wanted his distillery to be part of the rejuvenation of the Golden Triangle. So he picked an old church as the site of his distillery.
When you visit Pearse Lyons, I recommend walking to the distillery if you can. It’s not far from Dublin’s touristy area and gives you the chance to take in the Liberties neighborhood, including other churches and historic brewing and distilling sites.
Pearse Lyons Distillery Transformed a Church into a Distillery
Shortly after Dr. Lyons and his wife purchased the St. James Cathedral with plans to transform it into a distillery, it was designated a historical site. That meant it had to be restored using historical methods. The problem was the church was originally built in 1859, so the methods used to build it aren’t exactly used anymore.
So the Lyons had to get creative. To restore the roof, they paid the original quarry in Wales to reopen to make replacement slate tiles. For the plaster, only three companies in the world still exist who make it, so they contracted one in Germany. You get the idea. In the end, it took a lot of work (more than four years!) and a lot of money (around €35 million!).
Today the church is beautiful inside and out. Traditional stained glass now depicts parts of the whiskey-making process. Copper stills and a wooden bar are tucked beneath the church arches. Bar tables replaced rows of pews. It’s a beautiful, beautiful sight… and seeing inside it is a must.
The Tour Includes Irish History, Religious History & Whiskey History
While the current St. James Church dates to 1859, the site itself as a religious area dates back as early as the 1100s. The St. James Church was originally a Protestant church, so when all the Protestants left Dublin, the church ceased operation and fell into disrepair.
During restoration of the church, they discovered the surrounding cemetery contained much more than it looked. Turns out there are 100,000 burials there, dating back to the 1400s! Even more interesting, they discovered Dr. Lyons’ grandfather was born just down the street and buried in the cemetery.
The distillery tour includes history about the church itself (and those 100,000 graves), a little about that whole Protestant/Catholic thing in Ireland, and about the history of Irish whiskey. Many distillery tours don’t put the distillery in context of the geographical region or its history. So I loved the extra historical bits that I learned at Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin.
Tour Pearse Lyons and Teeling Distillery together here.
Pearse Lyons’ Sister Distillery is in Kentucky
Pearse Lyons (the person) had an impressive background starting with biochemistry and ending as the first Irish man to receive a Master’s Degree in both brewing and distilling. His resume is equally impressive. I was surprised to learn that Dr. Lyons restored the Lexington Brewing Company in Kentucky, now the largest brewery in the state. Then in 2012, he opened Town Branch Distillery, where they make bourbon, rye, and malt whiskey.
Having a sister distillery in Kentucky provides Pearse Lyons with plenty of ex-bourbon barrels for aging their Irish whiskey. How convenient! Also convenient: Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin sells bottles of Town Branch bourbon and rye, while Town Branch Distillery in Kentucky sells bottles of Pearse Lyons Irish whiskey!
Pearse Lyons Whiskey is Excellent
At this point you’re probably thinking Enough history, what about the whiskey? As a whiskey aficionado, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin if the whiskey wasn’t worth drinking!
At Pearse Lyons, whiskey is double distilled. The notion that Irish whiskey must be triple distilled is a myth. (Our guide called it a “marketing campaign from the 60s.”) But Pearse Lyons’ hybrid still gets the equivalent of 2.5 distillations, so it’s almost triple distilled.
They’re only distilling malt whiskey at the St. James Church and sourcing all the grain whiskey. All the grains are from their own farm in County Mead and (as mentioned) the ex-bourbon barrels come from their sister distillery in Kentucky.
Distilling started five years ago, so whiskey with older age statements was sourced. But it’s not without Pearse Lyons’ spin. Some sourced whiskey, like the 12 Year Old Single Malt, was re-casked in Town Branch barrels. (It’s an amazing whiskey!) They’re also blending some of the older, sourced whiskey with their whiskey, like in the Marriage of Malt, my favorite that we tasted.
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Judging by what I tasted, I think Pearse Lyons whiskey has a delicious future ahead of them and I can’t wait to see what they release in the next few years.
As much as I love a good whiskey, I love a good whiskey with a great story even better. And Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin definitely has both. Book a tour to Pearse Lyons and Teeling together here.
Related :: How to Plan a Whiskey Trip to Ireland, Guide to Distilleries in Ireland, and More Distilleries in Ireland
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