Echlinville Distillery – A Taste of the Ards Peninsula

A visit to The Echlinville Distillery is highly recommended. Set on the Echlinville Estate near Kircubbin, the distillery is a wonderful way to experience the heritage, landscape and craftsmanship of the Ards Peninsula. Echlinville is Northern Ireland’s first new distillery in more than 125 years and is a genuine field-to-glass farm distillery. The team grow their own barley on the estate and floor-malt it on the farm, giving the spirits a strong connection to the land on which they are produced. The distillery is home to a range of Irish spirits, including Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, Echlinville Gin, Jawbox Gin and Bán Poitín.

Strangford–Portaferry ferry

The ferry terminal is only a 2-minute walk from The Cuan.  From Strangford village, take the ferry across Strangford Lough to Portaferry, enjoying the short crossing and wonderful views across the Lough. From Portaferry, Echlinville Distillery is approximately a five-minute drive away.

From the ferry, follow the signs towards Kircubbin and then towards Echlinville. The distillery is located at:

Echlinville Distillery
62 Gransha Road
Kircubbin
County Down
BT22 1AJ

There is parking available at the distillery.

The journey itself is part of the experience, taking you from the shores of Strangford Lough across to the Ards Peninsula and through some of the beautiful countryside surrounding Kircubbin.

The Tour & Tipple offers guests an insight into how Echlinville’s spirits are made, from the grain growing on the farm through to the finished spirit. The guided experience takes you into the working distillery, where you can see the beautiful copper stills and learn about the production process. You will also visit the whiskey maturation warehouse, where the casks are quietly maturing and developing their character. The tour explores Echlinville’s field-to-glass philosophy, including the growing, harvesting and floor-malting of their own barley. The guides explain how the distillery captures the flavour, colour and mouthfeel of its spirits before you finish with time to relax in the bar. The Tour & Tipple currently includes two drinks of your choice from the distillery’s range, with options including whiskey, gin or poitín.

Tours are for guests aged 18 and over and should be booked in advance. Prices and availability can change, so we recommend checking directly with Echlinville before travelling.

Although Echlinville is perhaps best known for its Irish whiskey, there is much more to discover. The distillery produces a range of spirits including Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, Echlinville Gin, Jawbox Gin and Bán Poitín, with the tour providing an opportunity to learn about the different production methods and taste some of the range.

For those who enjoy exploring the story behind what they drink, the combination of the working farm, historic estate, distillery, still house and maturation warehouse makes this a particularly interesting experience.

We recommend allowing plenty of time to enjoy the experience rather than simply treating it as a quick stop. Take the ferry from Strangford, explore Portaferry, enjoy the distillery tour and tasting, and then make your way back across the Lough to The Cuan. It is a lovely way to experience this corner of County Down — from the Lough, across the ferry, through the countryside and into the heart of Echlinville’s field-to-glass distillery.

Please note: Distillery tours and tastings are subject to availability and advance booking. Guests should check the current ferry timetable and tour times before setting out. For the latest tour information and bookings, please contact Echlinville Distillery directly at https://echlinville.com/experiences/