A sister to Ally Alpine's renowned Dublin business, The Celtic Whiskey Shop - and the only one of its type outside the capital - the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder opened in March 2016 and stepped straight into the limelight as a must-see attraction in Ireland's longest-established tourist region.
Very handily located, right at the centre of Killarney town, it's in a fascinating old building that has plenty to interest visitors in itself - and the offering is unique.
Whether or not you're into whiskey, there is much to please the inquiring mind. With over a thousand whiskeys/whiskies from Ireland, Scotland and around the world in stock (and lined up beautifully on backlit shelving for all to wonder at), plus the ever-evolving range of Irish craft gins and vodkas, and also Irish and international craft beers, both on draught and in bottle, the range and diversity of quality drinks on offer here is staggering.
Fortunately the Celtic Whiskey Bar team have also devised ways to help visitors to make sense of it all through the Irish Whiskey Experience, which offers a range of whiskey masterclasses including Bainne & Grain (Irish whiskey and Irish farmhouse cheese pairing), Golden Ticket (Irish whiskey &and artisan chocolate pairing), and Blender’s Challenge (Blend Your Own Irish Whiskey).
There are also cocktails (of course) and limited but well-considered food - an all day menu offers Small Plates, Plates and Desserts, plus some daily specials. They keep things simple and it works, well thanks to the focus on local and artisan foods - small plates might include salads with the highly regarded Quinlans smoked salmon from Caherciveen on the Ring of Kerry, for example, or St Tola goats cheese from neighbouring County Clare.
The full sized plates and specials offer mainly traditional dishes, some which aren't seen theses days as often as they used to be, such as delicious liver and bacon with onion gravy.
Irresistible Kenmare Ice Cream features among the desserts, or you could finish up with an Irish coffee of course.
But the surprising thing, if you're travelling with kids in tow, may be that it's popular with families, so don't be shy of dropping in for a bite if you're on a family holiday.
Although the most obvious focus is on spirits, and especially whiskey, the partner business in Dublin is Wines on the Green, which specialises in sourcing wines directly from vineyards around the world, so the same philosophy applies here and the wine offering is unique - and very kindly priced for the quality.
You'll know a great del more about Irish whiskey and its history by the time you leave this interesting place - and you shouldn't leave empty-handed either, as the full range of whiskeys, Irish craft gins and spirits and a wide range of wines are all available to but at off-license prices.
