Micil distillery – Six Generations of Heritage

A Connemara family have been following a tradition of distilling for many years and have a distillery at Spidal on the shores of Galway Bay.

Micil Distillery was named in honour of their great-great-great grandfather, Micil Mac Chearra, who began distilling illicit poitín in 1848 on a Connemara hillside. The family have been crafting exceptional Irish spirits on the shores of Galway Bay ever since, and they represent Ireland’s longest unbroken family distilling tradition. For over 170 years they have preserved these traditions, skills and recipes, handing them down by word of mouth through the Irish language from generation to generation.

The Story of Poitín and Whiskey

Poitín and whiskey both originated in Ireland, and prior to the introduction of cask maturation were essentially the same spirit, separated only by the buying of a licence. Both were distilled from malted barley and other grains, and both were known as fuisce in the Irish language still spoken in South Connemara. The word fuisce (pronounced ‘fwishka’) derives from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning ‘water of life’. This was later anglicised to become ‘whiskey’.
(See Connemara Coastal Cottages previous Blog Post on Poitin  )

The Distillery
Micil Distillery is Galway’s first legal distillery in over 100 years. Located in Salthill village on the shores of Galway Bay, we craft a range of exceptional Irish spirits

Unique Family Recipes
Distilling now in the same way that it has always been done, using unique family recipes passed down through the Irish language. The whiskeys and poitíns are crafted using 100% Irish grain sourced as close to home as possible, and the peated grain is malted using turf from family land at Inverin. The gins derive their distinct flavours from Connemara herbs and flowers, handpicked locally and distilled in the pot after overnight maceration. The Irish Cream is produced using sweet whiskey, rich cream, and smooth Connemara poitín, and is made to their grandmother’s favourite recipe.

Visit the Distillery and Take a Tour.
Micil Distillery is open seven days a week for pre-booked tours, tastings and distillery experiences, offering fully guided, up-close and personal insights into the world of Micil.
Offered 4 times daily The Whiskey Experience typically runs at 2pm, 4pm & 6pm  and the Distillery Experience Daily at 12 noon  all subject to availability.

The Micil Whiskey Experience
This is a chance to explore the real history of whiskey and poitín in Ireland. You’ll learn how whiskey is traditionally made and discover what makes Micil Whiskey so unique, while experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a working distillery

The Micil Distillery Experience
An inside look into a working distillery, focusing on whiskey, poitín and gin production at Micil. You’ll discover the amazing histories of all three spirits, learn how they’re made, and hear some colourful stories about our own family’s illicit distilling heritage.

At Micil Distillery they make their spirits the old-fashioned way, using traditional methods and time-honoured techniques. The whiskeys and poitíns are made using 100% Irish grain, brewed from scratch and then distilled in small single batches in our 500L copper pot still. There is no automation, and all the spirit ‘cuts’ are made by taste alone, using the skill and judgement of the distiller. In line with our ethos of sustainability, the ‘spent grain’ and other byproducts are fed to the cattle on our family farm in Connemara so why not drop in and learn more about traditional distilling and sample some of their great products.
Micil Distillery generously offer a 10 percent discount to Connemara Coastal Cottages customers.

The Micil Distillery Team