Page 120 - WDT MAGAZINE IRELAND ISSUE WINTER 2018

The Old Bushmill’s Distillery where we en-
joyed four rounds of liquid Gold. We had an
excellent lunch at the Bushmill’s Inn.

After lunch we (not Denis) did what you do when and now good friend a good day and glided back to
in Bushmills - you drink whiskey or as they called it, a the parking lot where Denis awaited, a broad knowing
tutored whiskey tasting, at the old distillery just a few smile on his face.
blocks away. The Old Bushmills Distillery is Ireland’s If you plan to visit, check the distillery’s calendar
oldest working distillery operating since 1608. Be- for the schedule of fun events crowned by Bushmills
cause we still had a lot to do that day, we decided to Live, a festival of handcrafted whiskey and music.
forgo the big tour and move right into the tasting. And if you don’t have a driver, you can take The Giant’s
The large tasting room was almost full of people lin- Causeway and Bushmills Railway from just outside
ing the bar and crowded into comfy chairs around ta- Bushmills Village on a 15-minute journey to and from
bles. Luckily a couple was leaving, and while snagged the fantastic natural wonder we would visit next.
their table, Mary visited the bar to find out how the Our drive to the Giant’s Causeway took only a few
tastings work. A few minutes later, she returned with minutes. I was unfamiliar with this fantastic place until
a cheerful Irishman with a tray of three glasses, each just week or so ago when folks on the ship scheduled
about half full of golden liquid. For over a half an a shore excursion there from Belfast. But once my
hour we tasted, smelled, swirled and sipped our way eyes fell on the alien-like columns at the seashore,
through some very smooth, tasty whiskey. I knew I had seen this UNESCO World Heritage site
Our Bushmill guide congratulated us on finishing many times in magazine photos. Here history and
the flight without falling off our chairs, then walked to geology meet mythology – making for exotic scenery
the bar and returned with a glass of aged liquid gold and tall tales.
for the road. Warm and happy, we wished our host

120 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018