What is special about Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin?

Roe & Co occupies a spectacularly restored 1904 Guinness Power Station just outside St James's Gate. The whiskey is genuinely interesting — a blended Irish whiskey finished in bespoke casks — and the cocktail-forward tour is one of the most enjoyable experiences in the Liberties. Brilliant choice if you enjoy craft cocktails as well as whiskey.

Roe & Co Distillery Dublin: tour guide, cocktails, tastings and tickets

The most dramatic building on the Dublin whiskey trail

Roe & Co Distillery is housed in the former Guinness Power Station on Thomas St., a 1904 industrial brick building that was derelict for years before Diageo converted it into one of the most striking distillery spaces in Ireland. The original turbine hall has become a multi-level visitor experience with exposed ironwork, a copper-clad bar, and the working stills visible from the ground floor. Before you even taste the whiskey, the space rewards a visit.

The brand itself is named after George Roe, who ran Dublin’s largest whiskey distillery from the same neighbourhood in the nineteenth century. Roe’s distillery on Thomas St. once occupied 17 acres and was the largest distillery in the world; the current Roe & Co is a respectful nod rather than a continuation, but the heritage connection to the Liberties is genuine.

The Powerhouse tour and tasting

The Roe & Co Distillery Powerhouse tour and tasting (~€35) runs about 60 minutes and is structured differently from most distillery tours. Rather than focusing purely on the whiskey production process, it is designed around the sensory experience of the spirit — how smell, taste, and the cocktail format interact.

You will cover:

Building history — the power station’s role in the Guinness operation, and how the restoration respected the original structure
The Roe & Co story — the revival of a historic Dublin name, the brief given to master blender Caroline Martin, the development of the house style
Production insight — the stills, the blending process, how the signature expression balances pot still and grain whiskey character
Tasting — three samples, typically including the Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey and one or two limited expressions, followed by a cocktail in the bar

The cocktail component is one of the distinguishing features of the Roe & Co experience. The bar team is trained to a high standard, and the menu uses Roe & Co expressions across a range of classic and original cocktails. If you are in Dublin for a few days and enjoy well-made drinks in an extraordinary space, this bar alone is worth returning to in the evening.

Guinness and Roe & Co combination tour

A combined tour of the Guinness Storehouse and Roe & Co runs about 4 hours total and handles the walking between the two sites. The Guinness Storehouse and Roe & Co Irish whiskey tour (~€85) includes both entry tickets and a guided connection between the two. It is genuinely good value compared to buying separately, and the guide contextualises the Guinness-Roe history — the two operations were literally neighbours for a century.

How Roe & Co fits the Liberties whiskey trail

The four craft distilleries in and around the Liberties are all within a walkable area. Roe & Co is the most design-led and cocktail-forward; Teeling is the most authentic craft producer; Pearse Lyons is the quirkiest setting (a church); and Jameson is the most polished beginner experience. On a full Dublin whiskey trail day, most people do two or three — Roe & Co pairs especially well with Teeling as they are a short walk apart.

For anyone choosing between the four, our comparison guide Jameson vs Teeling vs Pearse covers the full picture.

What the whiskey actually tastes like

Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey is genuinely interesting rather than just commercially inoffensive. The base is a blend of pot still and grain whiskey finished in bespoke barrels that were specified to deliver a light, vanilla-forward profile that works both neat and in cocktails. It is not a heavyweight whiskey, but that is deliberate: the distillery’s creative brief was specifically to produce Irish whiskey’s best mixing spirit. Limited releases from the distillery tend to be bolder — the Cask Strength editions are worth tasting if available.

Practical details

Address: 92 Thomas St., Dublin 8. The distinctive brick power-station building is unmistakable.

Getting there: A 5-minute walk from Teeling Distillery and 10 minutes from the Guinness Storehouse. Luas Red Line to Fatima, then 10 minutes on foot. Dublin Bus 40 series and 123 stop on Thomas St. See getting around Dublin.

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00. Last tour at 17:00. Seasonal variations in winter.

Booking: The Roe & Co Distillery Powerhouse tour can be booked online; walk-ins are possible but summer weekends fill up. The bar is open without a tour ticket for drinks.

Combine with: The Dublin whiskey trail page covers a full itinerary incorporating Roe & Co alongside Teeling, Pearse Lyons, and Jameson. The Guinness Storehouse is the natural bookend for a full Liberties afternoon. Budget travellers should check whether the Dublin Pass is worth it before paying separately for multiple attractions.