THE ARDARA DISTILLERY ​

RECLAIMING THE DISTILLING HERITAGE OF DONEGAL ​

An interior shot of a distillery featuring a large, gleaming copper pot still and its connecting pipework. The copper equipment sits on a metallic industrial floor in front of a massive grid-patterned window that reveals an outdoor view of trees and buildings. A red rope barrier is positioned in the foreground, and the high, slanted ceiling of the facility is visible at the top of the frame.

A craft rooted
in legacy

Rooted in the wild Atlantic soul of Donegal, Ardara Distillery was founded from a desire to revive a bold, smoky style of Irish whiskey long forgotten by time.

Guided by childhood memories and a proud family legacy, James and Moira Doherty returned to Ardara to reawaken its distilling tradition, unapologetically rich, peated, and true to its origins.

Set on the banks of the Owentocker River, the striking distillery produces more than whiskey, crafting smoky spirits, maritime gin, and a delicate vodka infused with local botanicals. Visit, taste, and discover the true Spirit of Donegal.

Top Experiences

A wide-angle interior view of the Ardara Distillery production floor, featuring a row of three large, gleaming copper pot stills. The stills are positioned along a massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooks a green landscape. The facility has a modern industrial design with a high, vaulted dark ceiling, yellow structural beams, and a metallic grate floor.
Non-Tasting Tour
Come inside and explore the true spirit of Donegal, a journey from timeless tradition to exceptional craft.
Explore the Tour
Amber-colored whiskey is being poured from a bottle into a crystal-cut tumbler filled with ice. The motion creates a splash and a spray of droplets against a dark, out-of-focus background.
Tasting Tour
Savour the bold, smoky character of Donegal spirits in a guided tasting that brings peated whiskeys and gin to life.
Explore the Tour
In a dimly lit tasting room with walls made of stacked barrel ends, a large group of people sits around a long wooden table for a whiskey tasting session. On the left, a presenter stands near shelves of bottles and a video screen, while several attendees are captured in the act of sampling their drinks.
Group
Booking
Planning a group visit? Whether with friends, family, or colleagues, enjoy a tailored experience steeped in flavour and heritage.
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Heavily Peated Whiskey

Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey

A whiskey of unapologetic character, born from Donegal’s smoky soul and bold tradition. Ardara embodies the craft of triple distillation, rich in peat and spirit, made the old way with a future in mind.
€ 90,00
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Blended Irish Whiskey

An Dúlamán Gin

A collection of exceptionally soft whiskeys, journey back through smoky Irish whiskey. The Silkies’ give an insight into the style Donegal distillers were once famed for, and which we are now reviving.
€ 49,00
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Blended Irish Whiskey

Frank Carr's Irish Poitín

Frank Carr created a coveted bright spirit, he followed his intuition to smoked malt, sweet molasses and oats to create his poitín.
€ 35,00
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Pot still vodka

The Misty Assaranca

A vodka of remarkable purity, inspired by Donegal’s wild beauty and dancing falls. Assaranca captures the soft elegance of delicate botanicals, distilled with precision and rooted in a land rich with lore.
€ 35,00
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A bottle of Frank Carr’s Lionnir Irish Poitín stands against a white background. The bottle is clear glass with a wooden stopper, containing a transparent spirit. Its large red label features an illustration of two men in a rustic setting, with text identifying it as being from Donegal, Ireland. Filter Shadow
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    Made with local barley and peated to 55ppm, Ardara is triple distilled using the all grain in method. Every drop carries the legacy of Donegal’s distillers, bold, honest and unmistakably from the edge.
    A circular Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey coaster sits on a gray surface, partially in shadow. A bright, golden light refraction from a nearby glass vessel dances across the top of the frame and spills onto the coaster, highlighting its dark texture and the A bottle of Ardara Single Malt Irish Whiskey (2025 Edition) is displayed inside a sleek black presentation box with a window. The box features a teal dragonfly logo at the top and the text
    An ode to the Donegal whiskeys of days gone by, Dark Silkie is a rich smoky blend loaded with character. Non chill-filtered and bottled at 46%, the whiskey is incredibly smooth with a stunning natural sweetness.
    A bottle of An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin stands on a sandy beach at low tide. The dark glass bottle reflects the golden light of a sunset or sunrise, with wet sand and gentle ripples of water visible in the blurred foreground and background.
    Like his reputation the poitín would make its way from the lough above Meenacanon across ditch and stream, through hedgerows and handshakes to celebrate life. Today we carry on his way, unfiltered.
    A bottle of Frank Carr’s Lionnir Irish Poitín sits on a flat, light-colored rock in a rugged outdoor setting. The clear spirit is contained in a stout glass bottle with a wooden stopper and a prominent red label. In the background, a blurred mountainous landscape under an overcast sky emphasizes the product's rural Irish origins. In a symmetric, wide-angle shot of the Ardara Distillery interior, two rows of large, stainless steel fermentation tanks lead the eye toward three gleaming copper pot stills in the background. The facility features a high, gabled ceiling with industrial beams and purple accent lighting, while a massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall at the far end offers a view of the landscape outside.
    Distilled near the falls, Assaranca is infused with the aromas of gorse and the tang of rowan berries. Each bottle bears its date of birth, a nod to Moira’s craft, expressive and deeply Donegal.
    A bottle of Assaranca Vodka sits on a polished bar top next to a tall glass filled with ice, a clear mixer, and a fresh lemon wheel. The bottle features a white label with an illustration of a rowan tree and text indicating it is produced in Donegal, Ireland. The background is a softly blurred view of a backbar with various bottles on shelves and warm, ambient lighting. A bottle of Assaranca Vodka is positioned on a marble surface next to a glass filled with a clear liquid and a large ice cube. The scene is accented with bright yellow flower petals scattered around the base of the bottle and inside the glass, alongside a silver jigger and a long bar spoon in the background.
    Local Area Highlights

    Uncover the beauty beyond the glass

    After your tour and tasting, there’s still so much to explore. From towering cliffs and hidden beaches to waterfalls and ancient ruins, Ardara is surrounded by natural wonders and cultural gems, all within a short drive from the distillery. Here’s what not to miss.

    A scenic, long-exposure photograph of a waterfall cascading down a lush, green rocky cliff into a dark pool of water below. Large, jagged rocks are visible in the immediate foreground, and the dense foliage surrounding the falls creates a serene, natural atmosphere.
    Maghera Beach, Co. Donegal
    Maghera Beach & The Assaranca Waterfall
    A panoramic coastal landscape featuring the massive, dark gray sea cliffs of Slieve League in Donegal, Ireland. The green and brown rugged cliffside drops steeply into the deep blue Atlantic Ocean under a bright sky with scattered white clouds. A small winding road and parking area are visible on a lower grassy ridge in the foreground.
    Bunglas Road, Teelin
    Sliabh Liag Cliffs
    A wide-angle, sunlit view of the Ardara Distillery courtyard. In the foreground, a stone bench sits nestled among large rocks and green foliage. The background features several white, modern buildings with dark gabled roofs surrounding a central gravel area under a clear, bright sky.
    Lurganboy, Co. Donegal
    Donegal Craft Village
    A close-up shot of a bowl filled with steamed mussels in their dark shells. The dish is garnished with fresh green parsley and sliced red chili peppers, all served in a shallow white bowl with a thin brown rim.
    Quay St., Glebe
    The Harbour Restaurant and Bar
    Main Street, Killybegs
    The Tara Hotel
    A nighttime exterior shot of a traditional white-walled Irish pub and restaurant complex. The buildings feature several storefronts, including McCafferty’s and Sonny McSwine’s, with windows glowing from warm interior lighting. Decorative signs, including a Guinness logo and a
    The Diamond, Donegal
    McCafferty's Bar
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