Ballina Whiskey Tasting at Craft Cocktails x Cuckoo Lane

Ballina Whiskey comes from Co. Mayo, where the distillery takes a slow approach to both fermentation and distillation. It’s a newer Irish whiskey brand that has built a following among people who are paying attention to what’s happening outside the established distilleries, and this tasting evening gives Dublin drinkers the chance to meet the product properly.

Craft Cocktails x Cuckoo Lane on Green Street is one of the better intimate venue choices in Dublin 7 for something like this - close enough to Smithfield’s bar circuit to make an evening of it, but separate enough to feel like a genuine event rather than a pop-up.

What to Expect

A guided tasting of Ballina Whiskey’s range, with the chance to understand what makes their process distinct. Expect to taste multiple expressions with guidance on flavour profile, production method, and the thinking behind the whiskey.

Ballina’s slow fermentation approach produces a whiskey with more complexity than the category average, and a tasting like this is the right context to understand why that matters. The team tend to be present at these events rather than leaving it to a brand representative, so the conversation is usually worth having.

Good to Know

• 7:30pm start - arrive a little before to get settled
• Tickets include the tasting
• Green Street is in the heart of Dublin 7 - you’re a short walk from Smithfield Square and the Four Courts area
• Over 18s only
• A good occasion for anyone who takes their Irish whiskey seriously or wants to start

Getting There

Craft Cocktails x Cuckoo Lane is on Green Street, Dublin 7. The Luas Red Line at Four Courts is about a 5-minute walk. Dublin Bus routes along the quays and through Smithfield all pass nearby. Smithfield Square is a short walk, and there are multiple car parks in the area if you’re driving - though at a whiskey tasting, designated driver logistics are worth planning in advance.