January 28th-30th

Day Four-Seven: Jameson Distillery, Temple Bar, Coffee and Chess Chinese

The next fews days were centered around school, food, and sightseeing. Having been told that the Guinness Brewery tour was overrated, we made our way to the Jameson Distillery.

I think it is fair to say that we all enjoyed the tasting session that concluded the tour the most. I, however, only confirmed my suspicions. I really don’t like whiskey.

It was really interesting to compare the different whiskeys though, that much I cannot deny. 

The thing setting Jameson apart from its competitors was the simple fact that their whiskey is distilled three times, as opposed to the regular two. When they talked about the smoothness of the drink, I could actually feel it. The taste would disappear immediately (of which I was thankful) and the angel tears (not the “legs” as they are typically referred, because the Irish are “more poetic”) that ran down the sides of the glass called back to the “Angel’s Share” of Jameson whiskey (the 2% of total production) that evaporates through distilling every year. 

Walking through the giftshop as we exited the building, I ambitiously purchased some whiskey infused chocolate (my curiosity and chocolate love got the best of me) and received a free drink voucher from the open bar. I hesitantly tried the Jameson and Ginger, the most recommended drink, and to my dismay, did not want to vomit. 

I took that W and paraded away, eager to explore more of the city.

By happenstance, I learned that my school is two blocks away from Temple Bar. Imagine me, a cappuccino in my hand, waltzing through the cobblestone streets with two of my roomies, surprised to see a Papa John’s in Ireland of all places, and then realizing oh, hey wait, is that,… THE Temple Bar ?

The glistening red paint should have been hard to miss, but I guess I didn’t know what to expect (even though I had seen numerous pictures of the building before going abroad). It existed more in my head than in real life. But hey, there it was all the same.

I didn’t know what I would miss most from the states, where food is concerned at least, but my stomach quickly told me: Chinese Food. So I happily discovered Chess Chinese in walking distance of Swuites, and chowed down on some veggie fried rice with sweet and sour sauce. Absolutely delectable.

I saved the address to my google maps and can happily report, I plan on being a loyal customer.