Irish whiskey is growing in every imaginable way. Jameson, the world’s largest and most recognisable Irish Whiskey, crossed 10 million cases worldwide before the end of 2022. The increase in the number of new distilleries and brands in the last few years is both dizzying and promising, together with it all, the founding of many whiskey societies around the island. On my count, there are now 15 whiskey societies and clubs in Ireland compared to the monopoly of the Irish Whiskey Society just some years ago.

The largest counties have their whiskey societies now, which is a testament that enough people out there are interested in and caring about whiskey. If you are wondering what a whiskey society is, it’s a group of middle-aged and older men dressed in suits, wearing monocles, with pocket watches. They meet in old Georgian buildings to smoke cigars, drink whiskey, and discuss current events. No, it’s not that.

Although still probably carrying the connotation here in Ireland that whiskey is your grandfather’s drink, whiskey societies are becoming increasingly diverse. The age groups have gone down from mostly boomers and Gen X to half or more being millennials. You also start to see more women taking part and people from different nationalities and backgrounds. This trend in Ireland is parallel, albeit a few years delayed, to more metropolitan cities like London, New York, and Hong Kong.

A whiskey society here would typically require you to pay an annual membership fee ranging from €25 to €50. This will give you access (or early access) to subsidised tastings which usually run every month. Each tasting would have around 5-6 different whiskeys (or spirits), and you get 15-20ml samples to taste in-person or online. The venue would usually be a pub, restaurant, or hotel if live. Sometimes, these could be distillery tours where the society will get a private tour of a distillery with a tasting afterwards. The events are usually presented by an expert, who could be someone from the brand, a historian, or a society member with expertise in the given tasting. Guest presenters, like the renowned Charlie MacLean, is also in the cards.

I am currently a member of three whiskey societies in Ireland. It started as something to do during the lockdown, but now, my reasons for joining have evolved slightly. Overall, it’s the whiskey and the education I get from entering the tastings. No matter how experienced you are and how much you think you know about whiskey, there’s always much more to learn. But there are some more tangible benefits as well.

Firstly, joining the societies has allowed me to taste more whiskeys. Volume and variety, I think, are both critical in honing your senses when it comes to whiskey that enables you to enjoy it more. Like with anything, practice is essential. Although I have bottles for drinking, it’s hard to beat the variety of whiskeys (or spirits) you could try in society tastings. Sometimes, you get to taste limited edition whiskeys, cask pulls, or samples you can’t buy anywhere else. One of my favourites was the Powers Johns Lane deconstruction, where we tasted ex-bourbon and sherry cask strength components that goes into it. Another was tasting Paddy through the decades when we opened a bottle of Paddy from the 1960s. A great privilege indeed.

Secondly, most societies are not-for-profit, so the tastings are subsidised, and whatever money you put in goes back to the society. I’ve joined commercially-ran tastings, and the price difference could be very noticeable. I once bought a sampling pack to join a Pappy Van Winkle tasting for €100, only for that same tasting to be offered by a whiskey society for €40 some months after.

Thirdly, society bottlings. Only a handful of societies have released bottlings, but far more have laid down casks or have partnerships with distillers or bottlers for future exclusive bottlings. Society bottlings can provide something unique. Irish Whiskey Society’s Marrowbone Lane is an 11-year-old trad pot (a variety of Midleton’s Single Pot Still with wider cut points providing a meatier flavour profile akin to historical Irish pot still whiskeys) that is now considered a unicorn and can only be seen at auctions. Waterford Whiskey Society’s first bottling was a Thomond Gate single pot still finished in an ex-heather peated Madeira cask which is a unique finishing and probably the first for an Irish Single Pot Still. Belfast Whiskey Club teased a Killowen Cask 003 that their members tasted recently. The list goes on.

Lastly is the social aspect and the people you meet. I have enjoyed every tasting or society event I’ve been in. There’s none that I felt was a waste of time or money. During lockdowns, it was a way to bring people together and feel connected, and now that in-person events are back, a great way to meet new people or people I’ve met previously online. It’s always great to meet others with a shared interest in whiskey and to geek out on stuff.

Most societies are voluntary, so it relies not only on membership fees and event ticket sales to function and operate. Events would probably be at the heart of every society, and those involved know that the logistics of organising events take up a lot of work and time. Operationally, dealing with finances, members, social media, regulatory bodies (label approvals, excise, etc.), suppliers, IT, etc., will not happen independently. Societies need members and those willing to step up and perform duties to ensure the society runs. These people are the lifeblood of societies. I’ve met many of them, and most don’t work for a whiskey-related company. They are just passionate about it.

For a comprehensive list of whiskey societies in Ireland that you can join (wherever you are in the world), please refer to Irish Whiskey Magazine’s list here. If you want to know more about a particular society, you can reach them on any of their social media channels.