The best place to drink whiskey on Earth is the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, with Japan’s Yamazaki distillery second. This list ranks 10 distilleries, racetracks and bars, using our own scoring of history, the experience on site and how easy it is to visit, and we dropped places we could not verify in 2026.
| Rank | Place | Country | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Bushmills Distillery | Northern Ireland | Licence dates from 1608, around 120,000 visitors a year |
| 2 | Yamazaki distillery | Japan | Japan’s first malt whisky distillery (1923) |
| 3 | The Macallan Estate | Scotland | Award-winning distillery building, shortlisted for the Stirling Prize |
| 4 | Islay | Scotland | Ten active distilleries on one island |
| 5 | Woodford Reserve Distillery | Kentucky, USA | Distilling since 1812 |
| 6 | Churchill Downs | Kentucky, USA | Home of the Kentucky Derby since 1875 |
| 7 | Jameson Distillery Bow St. | Ireland | The original Dublin site, with tours and a bar |
| 8 | The Horse Shoe Bar | Scotland | Said to be Britain’s longest bar, 104 feet |
| 9 | The Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris | France | Reopened with the hotel in June 2016 |
| 10 | Boisdale Canary Wharf | England | Restaurant, bar and live music |
1. Old Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
The company that built the distillery was formed in 1784, but the date 1608 on the label refers to the royal licence granted to Sir Thomas Phillips to distil whiskey in the area. That claim is why Bushmills calls itself the oldest licensed distillery. It draws around 120,000 visitors a year and has been owned by Proximo Spirits.
Reason: the strongest mix of history and a working visitor tour.
2. Yamazaki distillery, Osaka, Japan
Yamazaki opened in 1923 as Japan’s first malt whisky distillery. Shinjiro Torii founded it, and Masataka Taketsuru, who had studied whisky-making in Scotland, was its first factory director from 1924. The first whisky was completed in 1929.
The visitor centre has a Whisky Library with about 7,000 bottles of unblended malt on display.
Verdict: the birthplace of Japanese whisky, close to Osaka.
3. The Macallan Estate, Craigellachie, Scotland
The Macallan was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid and is owned by the Edrington Group. The new distillery and visitor experience on the Easter Elchies estate, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2019 and won the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
Why here: whisky and architecture in one stop.
4. Islay, Scotland: ten distilleries on one island
Islay is a Hebridean island of about 25 by 15 miles with ten active distilleries, including Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Its whiskies are known for peat smoke. The Fèis Ìle festival of malt and music takes place in the last week of May.
Our take: the best destination for a whisky-only trip.
5. Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
Distilling began on the site in 1812, and the main structure, built in 1838, is one of the oldest distilleries in Kentucky. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Woodford Reserve brand, a small batch Kentucky bourbon, was introduced in 1996.
Rating note: a historic stone distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
6. Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
Churchill Downs has hosted the Kentucky Derby since it opened in 1875. The mint julep, bourbon with mint and sugar syrup, is the traditional Derby drink, and Woodford Reserve replaced Yum! Brands as the race’s presenting sponsor in 2018.
Bottom line: bourbon and racing, but best on race days.
7. Jameson Distillery Bow St., Dublin
The Bow Street Distillery was established in 1780, and John Jameson took full ownership and expanded it in 1805. Whiskey was distilled there until 1971. It is now a visitor centre with guided tours, tutored tastings and a bar.
In short: the easiest tasting for a city visit.
8. The Horse Shoe Bar, Glasgow
A bar has stood on the site since 1846, and the pub took its present name in 1884. It is said to have the longest bar in Britain at 104 feet, and the building has been Category A listed since 1988. Glasgow band Travis used it as a rehearsal space early in their career.
Score logic: an authentic pub rather than a showcase.
9. The Hemingway Bar, Ritz Paris
The Ritz closed on 1 August 2012 for a four-year renovation and reopened on 6 June 2016. The Hemingway Bar sits inside the hotel and is named for Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Paris in the 1920s. Drinks are expensive, as in the hotel.
The trade-off: the best-known hotel bar on the list.
10. Boisdale Canary Wharf, London
Boisdale’s website lists two London venues, Belgravia and Canary Wharf, and promotes restaurants, bars and live music. We could not confirm the current whisky list or cigar offering, so check before you go.
Summary: it is the least documented of the 10, but it remains open.
Keep reading
- 10 best-selling whiskey brands in the world: which brands you will find in these bars
- Most expensive whisky in the world: the other end of the price range
- Most expensive alcoholic drinks in the world: for when budget is no object
FAQ
Where is the best place to drink whiskey in the world?
In our ranking, the Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland, whose licence dates from 1608. Yamazaki in Japan is second.
What is the oldest whiskey distillery on the list?
Bushmills claims to be the oldest licensed distillery, based on the 1608 licence, though the company that built it was formed in 1784.
Where is the best place to try whiskey in Japan?
The Yamazaki distillery near Osaka, Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, which opened in 1923.
Where is the best place to drink bourbon?
Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky, which has been distilling since 1812, and Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.
Which whisky region has the most distilleries to visit?
Islay has ten active distilleries on an island measuring about 25 by 15 miles.
How did you pick these places?
We ranked by history, the on-site experience and ease of visiting, and we removed venues we could not verify as open in 2026.
How we put this list together
We checked each distillery and bar against its history and current visitor details. The order is our own scoring of history, experience and ease of visiting.
Last updated: October 2026.
