9 February 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Ireland’s fastest growing whiskey festival, Cork Whiskey Fest, returns to Cork City for its fourth year from 27–29 March 2026. The festival will feature a relocation to Oliver Plunket St for all Masterclasses and expanded Brand Expo & Socials and a packed programme of tastings – including rare whiskeys – and expert-led experiences.
The 2026 edition will also include a carefully curated line-up of masterclasses, exclusive tastings and storytelling sessions, celebrating the craft, creativity and heritage of Irish whiskey and spirits. Designed as an experience suitable for all, Cork Whiskey Fest 2026 will bring festival-goers face to face with the people behind the liquids, from established distilleries to the exciting new producers at the vanguard of the Irish Whiskey Revival.
The main festival highlight, both Brand Expo & Socials, are moving to a new home in Cork City Hall this year, where increased capacity will see more than 60 distilleries, breweries and brands gather under one roof on Friday 27th & Saturday 28th March (7.00–10.30pm). Attendees can enjoy complimentary tastings of new and rare whiskeys, beers, ciders, gins, rums, vodkas and poitíns, which can all be paired with complimentary mixers, whilst discovering first-hand the stories and craftsmanship behind each spirit. Every ticket holder will receive a specially crafted Cork Whiskey Fest glass, with gourmet food vendors on site selling tailored bites throughout the evening.
Festival founders Laurie and Sonya O’Dwyer in Cork City Hall launching the fourth annual Cork Whiskey Fest which will take place from 27th – 29th March 2026 across Cork City.
Cork Whiskey Fest will concentrate whiskey fans in one city for three days for plenty of craic and fantastic whiskey & drinks experiences.
Whiskey fans will be hosted by Festival Friends, in the many bars and rooms, that will make Cork city the epicentre of Irish whiskey for one weekend.
Photo. Darragh Kane
Across the weekend, Oliver Plunkett Street will come alive with more than 15 intimate events, including masterclasses, historic deep-dives and exclusive tastings led by producers, brewers and whiskey historians. There will be an opportunity to sample innovative new and rare spirit releases and of course, plenty of craic.
Festival highlights include A Pint & A Drop, delivered by the head brewers from 3 Cork Breweries – Rising Sons Brewery, Blarney Brewing Co and Original 7 Brewery.
Silent Irish Distilleries, where Industry legend Ger Garland samples liquids from Ireland’s lost whiskey distilleries; and The Renegades – Scotch/ Irish Blends, with Mark Lonergan tasting those blends that shouldn’t really have been allowed, but got released.
Other standout sessions delve into Vintage Whiskey Crocks, Peated Pot Still Irish Whiskeys from Killowen Distillery, and a rare Midleton warehouse tasting hosted at the Imperial Hotel Ballroom.
One of the most sought-after tickets of the weekend is Distillery Day at Midleton Distillery on Saturday 28th March, offering unparalleled access to the distillery, warehouses and master craftspeople alongside exceptional tastings.
Organised by Laurie O’Dwyer (host of Whiskey Chats Podcast) and Sonya O’Dwyer, the festival is proudly sponsored by Irish Distillers/ Midleton Distillery and IrishMalts.com.
Laurie said, “We’re thrilled to bring Cork Whiskey Fest back for its fourth year. Our growth has allowed us to expand into incredible new spaces, with Cork City Hall becoming the home of our biggest-ever Brand Expo & Socials, and Oliver Plunkett Street buzzing with whiskey events all weekend. We have a fantastic few days planned with great liquids and plenty of craic.”
John O’Donovan, festival sponsor, from IrishMalt.com remarked: “We’re delighted to again support Cork Whiskey Fest for the fourth year. It’s not only a celebration of Irish whiskey, but a community-driven event that connects people through shared experiences, storytelling and a passion for great spirits.”
Cork Whiskey Fest is a must-attend celebration for anyone keen to explore the world of Irish spirits. All events sold out last year so advance booking is recommended. For a full list of events go to corkwhiskeyfest.com or follow @thecorkwhiskeyfest on social media. Drinkaware.ie.
Events Programme
Brand Expo & Socials at Cork City Hall this year, Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March, 7.00–10.30pm.
The Distillery Day at Midleton Distillery on Saturday March 28th, 12noon. The most sought after ticket of the festival! Enjoy unparalleled access to the Masters, the Distillery, the Visitor Centre, the Warehouses and of course some amazing whiskey samples.
A Pint & A Drop, The Frisky Whiskey Bar, Oliver Plunkett St, 1.30pm, Saturday March 28th with Head Brewers from Blarney Brewing Co, Rising Sons Brewery and Original 7 Brewery. Silent Irish Distilleries.
Silent Irish Distillers, Canty’s Bar, Oliver Plunkett St, 3.30pm, Saturday 28th. Master storyteller Ger Garland will delve into the histories of some of Ireland’s lost, silent distilleries and explore the amazing whiskeys they produced.
Vintage Whiskey Crocks, Counihan Bar, Oliver Plunkett St at 1.30pm on Saturday March 28th. Dr Fionnán O’Connor will tell the interesting historical journey of ceramic whiskey used for storing whiskey and drinks before industrial glass bottles became popular in the 1800’s.
The Renegades – Scotch Irish Blends. The Poor Relations Bar, Oliver Plunkett St, 3.30pm, Saturday March 28th. Mark Lonergan will examine some cross border renegades in the whiskey world, exploring how some Scotch Irish blends came to be.
Mike & Katrin McDonnell, proprietors of The Wine Buff on Oliver McCurtain St will host two events – an Italian Wines evening on Friday 27th and Wild Wines on Sunday 29th at 2pm.
Redbreast Cask Masterclass, Imperial Hotel Ballroom. 2pm, Sunday March 29th. Savour and learn about the components of the vast array of Midleton’s finest casks, bound for future Redbreast whiskey releases, with complimenting nibbles provided by the executive Head Chef at The Imperial Hotel.
Peated Pot Still Whiskey with Killowen, 2pm, Sunday 29th March, The Frisky Whiskey Bar, Oliver Plunkett St. Killowen’s Brendan Carty will delve into his archive of peated pot still Irish whiskey, from Mourne Mountains in Co Down., something that is still quite unique in the world of Irish whiskey. Enjoy freshly drawn cask samples, hand-picked from the best Peated Pot Still casks in the warehouse.
Midleton Warehouse Masterclass, 6pm, Sunday 29th March, Imperial Hotel Ballroom. The festival closing event offers a unique tasting experience of a stellar range of double distilled or obscure casked whiskeys with complimenting nibbles provided by the Executive Head chef at The Imperial Hotel.