3 Best Sights in Dublin, Ireland

Not content to have the busiest tourist attraction in the country with the Storehouse, Guinness (or rather, its parent company, mega-liquor brand, Diageo) has launched a new whiskey distillery on the site of the former brewery powerhouse, across the street from the Guinness Open Gate Brewery taproom. It's named after a long-forgotten whiskey made on-site, but all that remains of that original distillery is the beautiful windmill tower and a single pear tree (both of which are nodded to in the design of the bottle). A passionate guide leads you on an excellent whiskey tour through this state-of-the-art facility. Explore the science of distillation, the guesswork of blending, and try your hand at tasting and cocktail-making workshops. Finish it all with a whiskey cocktail at the fun Power House Bar.

Founded in 1791, this distillery produced one of Ireland's most famous whiskeys for nearly 200 years, until 1966, when local distilleries merged to form Irish Distillers and moved to a purpose-built, ultramodern distillery in Middleton, County Cork. A major recent renovation has turned this original distillery into a state-of-the-art museum and whiskey experience to rival Guinness's storehouse. In fact, Jameson claims to be the most visited distillery in the world. Tours focus on either exploring the history of the old place, blending your own whiskey, or honing your whiskey-cocktail-making skills. Tours include a complimentary tasting; four attendees are invited to taste different brands of Irish whiskey and compare them against bourbon and Scotch. If you have a large group and everyone wants to do this, phone in advance to arrange it. You can even bottle your own whiskey, with a personalized label.

While this state-of-the-art whiskey distillery in Dublin's historic Liberties neighborhood is relatively new, it's only a stone's throw from the 1782 site of the original Teelings. Part of the modern Irish renaissance in whiskey making, this pot-still operation offers one of the best and most inclusive whiskey tours in the country. You get to see the nuts and bolts of how the uisce beatha or "water of life" is made, and there's a delicious tasting waiting for you at the end. The little café out front is usually lively.

Price of tours vary greatly depending on the quality of the whiskey you will be tasting at the end.