Roe & Co Distillery guide

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.

How to get the most from the tasting

A tasting rewards a little attention. Take the first sample slowly and neat, before the cocktail arrives, so you have a clear impression of the house style: light, vanilla-forward and easy. Then notice how the same spirit behaves once it is mixed. That contrast is the whole point of the Roe & Co approach, and it is the part of the tour that tends to stay with people afterwards.

If you are new to Irish whiskey, this is a friendly place to start. Nothing about the format assumes prior knowledge, and the staff are used to questions from people who have never tasted a pot still blend. If you want a broader grounding before you go, the whiskey tasting for beginners guide explains how to nose, sip and compare without feeling self-conscious, and the Irish Whiskey Museum guide is a good companion for the wider history of the category.

A few habits make the experience better:

• Eat something beforehand, because several samples and a cocktail land harder on an empty stomach.
• Drink water between samples rather than rushing from one glass to the next.
• Ask the guide what they would mix with the standard blend at home; the answers are usually more practical than the menu.
• Decide in advance who in your group is driving or heading to another booking, so nobody is hurried through the bar.

Who this tour suits, and who should choose differently

Roe & Co suits couples and small groups who want a stylish hour with a drink in hand. It works well for friends with mixed tastes, because the person who prefers cocktails and the person who prefers whiskey both get something real. It also suits anyone who has already done a more traditional tour and wants a different angle on the same industry.

It suits families and younger travellers less well, simply because the experience is built around tasting. If you are travelling with children, the Dublin with kids guide and the rainy day with kids guide point to better uses of the same afternoon. For a first look at the city as a whole, the first-time Dublin guide helps you decide how much of your time a distillery deserves.

If you are still weighing up which distillery to book, remember that each one tells a different story. Roe & Co leads with atmosphere and cocktails, so choose it when mood and design matter as much as production detail. Choose a more production-focused visit when you want to follow the whiskey from grain to glass in more depth.

Fitting it into a wider Dublin plan

Because the Powerhouse sits at the western edge of the old city, it pairs naturally with other sights in the area. A morning at the Liberties streets, an early afternoon at the Storehouse, and a cocktail to finish is a sensible rhythm that avoids doubling back across town.

If you are building a longer stay, the Dublin 3-day planning guide shows where a distillery visit slots in without crowding out the major sights, and the three-day Dublin itinerary gives a day-by-day version. Travellers who like the history side of the neighbourhood may prefer the Dublin history buff itinerary, which leans on the same streets from a different angle. For a looser day that mixes food, drink and wandering, the Dublin weekend foodie itinerary is a natural fit.

On a wet day, a distillery is one of the better indoor choices in the city, which is why it also appears in the rainy day in Dublin guide. Dublin weather changes quickly, so keeping a covered, bookable plan in reserve is smart; the Dublin weather and what to pack guide helps you prepare.

What the building adds to the visit

It is easy to treat the setting as a backdrop, but it is part of the product. The old turbine hall was built to generate power for a brewery, and the restoration keeps that industrial character visible rather than hiding it. Look up as well as ahead: the ironwork, the brick and the scale of the space tell you a lot about how seriously the original operation was run.

The contrast between that heavy industrial shell and a polished, modern bar is what makes the room memorable. Photographers will find plenty to work with, though the light inside is moody, so a phone with a good low-light mode helps more than a flash. For more context on how the neighbourhood grew around brewing and distilling, the Liberties blog post on hidden corners is a lovely read before or after your visit, and the whiskey renaissance in Dublin explains why so many distilleries have reopened in recent years.

Making an evening of it in the Liberties

Roe & Co’s cocktail bar works well as an anchor for a longer evening in the neighbourhood rather than a single stop. If you want to build out a proper crawl, the gin and craft beer in Dublin guide has other options nearby, and where to drink Guinness in Dublin covers the best pours a short walk away at St James’s Gate itself.

For food, the Dublin markets and street food guide covers the Liberties’ growing food scene, and the best restaurants in Dublin guide has options for a proper sit-down meal to bookend the tour. If you’d rather have the food and drink pairing curated for you, several of the Dublin food tours guide options run through this part of the city and can be combined with a distillery visit on the same day.

Booking and timing tips

Think about when in the day you want the experience. An earlier slot gives you the building at its calmest and leaves the rest of the day free, while a later slot flows straight into an evening drink at the bar. Whichever you choose, arrive a little before your time so you are not handed a rushed first sample. If your plans are flexible, it is worth reading the booking attractions in advance guide to see which Dublin experiences need the most notice.

Anyone comparing the cost of several visits should look at Dublin on a budget and the Dublin trip cost guide. A distillery tour is a treat rather than a necessity, so it helps to decide early which one or two paid experiences matter most to you and spend your budget there.

Getting between the sites

The walk between the Liberties attractions is short, but it passes through a working part of the city rather than a polished tourist strip. Wear comfortable shoes, keep an eye on the traffic on Thomas St., and use the Dublin scams to avoid guide as a sensible refresher on keeping belongings safe in busy areas. If you would rather not walk at all, the Dublin bus tours hop-on hop-off guide explains how the loop services can drop you close to the neighbourhood, and the Leap Card guide covers paying for the public transport that serves it.

Many visitors pair the distillery with a slower look at the area on foot. The Dublin historical walking tour guide and the best Dublin walking tours guide both describe guided options that cover streets close to the Powerhouse, which is a good way to understand why the Liberties mattered to Dublin’s brewing and distilling story before you step inside.

A simple half-day plan

For a relaxed half day, start with a coffee and a short wander through the Liberties, take the Powerhouse tour while you are fresh, and finish at the bar with an unhurried cocktail. If you would like a second stop, add Teeling nearby and keep the order simple: the more production-minded visit first, the more atmospheric one second. Leave a gap in the middle for lunch rather than stacking tastings back to back. That pacing keeps the day enjoyable instead of turning it into a tick-list, and it leaves you able to appreciate what each place does best.

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.

Top experiences

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Dublin: Roe & Co Distillery powerhouse tour & tasting

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