Micil Distillery Experience 2 - Gin, Poitín and Whiskey
Overview
Available languages
1 hour
Mobile ticket
Step inside Galway cities only working distillery & discover the fascinating story of Ireland’s original spirit, poitín – outlawed here for over 300 years. Learn the real history of poitín and whiskey, how they’re made, and what makes Micil’s spirits so unique.
Your guide will take you on a journey from the hills of South Connemara, where our founder first distilled poitín in a small stillhouse, to today’s distillery, run by his great-great-great-grandson. Along the way, you’ll hear daring, funny and heartfelt stories from our family’s illicit past, while experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of a working distillery.
The tour includes three guided tastings from our award-winning portfolio – a poitín, a whiskey and a gin – distilled right here around you. It’s an entertaining, hands-on experience that blends heritage, craftsmanship and flavour, and one that every curious visitor to Galway should experience.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Gift shop is available at the distillery
Minimum age to taste alcohol is 18 years
The distillery can be a little chilly sometimes, so best to bring a jacket
What To Expect
Micil Distillery
A fascinating look at Galway's first working distillery in over 100 years
Options
12pm Tasting Experience
Taste 1 Gin, 1 Poitín & 1 Whiskey. An inside look into a working distillery, focusing on whiskey, poitín and gin.
What‘s Included
Poitín and Whiskey Tasting Experience
Professional tour guide
Food, however Oslo Bar serves food daily
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
291 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Worthwhile trip and value for the money!!
Christine Vagst... J,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really nice place and good atmosphere. The knowledge of the presenter was awesome! The drinks were good and good service if you wanted to test the other drinks they had. Also very nice that they serve food in the bar below which you could go to afterwards or in advance. Worth a visit, definitely!!
Go to Micil! You will not be disapponted!
Melissa B,May 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing experience. I believe her name was Evie but not sure of the spelling. She was very informative, went through the history,, processes, the lay of the land and especially the myths about Poitin. We were fortunate because the other people coming didn’t show so we had her to ourselves. We were able to sample everything and I am bringing home a few bottles, t-shirts and a wonderful memory of Micil. I would recommend this to anyone.
Wonderful experience
Lisa M,May 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a wonderful experience! Our guide explained the history of Micil’s and was in depth in explaining what goes into making the different alcohols. The tasting of the different alcohols was quite generous.
Great experience
DavidN5043,May 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very good guide, lots of answers to questions were elaborated and continuous insights delivered. Great tasting spirits part of Irish culture.
Fantastic time
X6134UNjohnf,May 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic experience, not to be missed.
Whisky tasting experience
11niamhl,Jan 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did the Micil Whiskey tour yesterday as a birthday treat and had an amazing time. There were four of us and it felt really personal and relaxed. Aoife was our guide and she was absolutely brilliant — so knowledgeable, engaging, and great fun, with a real passion for the history and the craft behind Micil. The storytelling, the tastings, and the whole atmosphere made it a really special experience. You can tell how much care and authenticity goes into everything they do. A perfect way to spend a birthday in Galway — would highly recommend to anyone visiting or even locals looking for something different.
Disappointing sales event ...
Q5886XKj rgs,Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00The history of the poitin was far too superficial, all details about the whiskey and the production were too tailored to the Micil distillery. The production process came up short, the small distillation plant could not be seen up close and it was not explained in detail. Unfortunately, instead of a tour of a distillery (as is usual in other distilleries, and as we could also see from the information on their Website), we only expected a pure sales event. We strongly recommend that you rewrite your website to reality - e.g. with the title "sales event") and only offer a tour of a distillery if you have something to show for it!
Top Notch Distillery
M1485JEhilarym,Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Brilliant experience. It was short and sweet but very enjoyable. They are very generous with the amount of alcohol they offer for such a cheap price. Definitely worth doing both for the taste, the history lessons and the vibe in there. A small brewery producing great drinks.
Worth the trip!
victoriaaR5068IH,Sep 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00This was a fun experience, and a great way to learn about Galway’s only distillery. We were greeted with a gin and tonic, an extremely tasty one, and then our guide dove into the history of gin making, whiskey, and poitin. The lesson was fascinating and interactive, she passed out examples of the ingredients for us to touch and smell to really understand what goes into the spirits. The history of the company is also very impressive and befitting of the Irish culture. Our guide was funny and quick witted as well which made the experience all the more enjoyable. The experience had about 14 people and it never felt too crowded or hard to hear the guide. A few things to note. The building was a little hard to find (granted it was chucking down rain as we were on the street so we were stressed to find the entrance). It’s a blue bar, you walk through to the back and upstairs. This is not so much of a tour as it is a tasting and a history lesson, I wish there was more to see of the actual distilling process but I think they just have a small facility for now and it’s probably not easily accessible for the public. Lastly - if you are coming from Galway center take a cab or the bus, it’s a long walk and in the Irish weather you can get caught in the rain and wind a dozen times.
Great time learning about Micil Distillery
Roam03977043609,Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a great time, and Michael was a fantastic host. It was great learning about all the different spirits, and everything was so tasty
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Operated by Micil Distillery