Six bars collaborate to tell the bold story of Powers and its Dublin history
Powers Irish Whiskey, which is made by Irish Distillers in Midleton Distillery, has unveiled the Powers Quarter; a collaboration between six Dublin bars that each tell a different chapter of Powers’ Bold Character and its illustrious Dublin whiskey history since 1791.
The six bars lie within walking distance of the old John’s Lane distillery and original Powers bottling hall on Drury Street. The initiative aims to celebrate the historic Powers neighbourhood by bringing to life the bars’ historic links to the brand through Powers-educated bartenders, point-of-sale and signature serves inspired by the unique story of Powers. The Powers Quarter covers the following key Dublin accounts; Thomas House, Market Bar, The Oak, The Swan, Idlewild and John Fallons The Capstan Bar.
The Powers Quarter is supported by social media, PR and a dedicated website on which whiskey fans can a download map and take a virtual tour. The journey is free to participate in for Irish whiskey fans and will also be used by Powers for educational visits with the trade, bartenders and distributors from around the world and within the Pernod Ricard network. There’s also an option to do a guided tour with the Powers global ambassador, Michael Carr, for €60.
For generations, the Powers distillery at John’s Lane shaped the development of the area around it through the direct employment of families, provision of houses for workers and even the maintenance of the local streets. While Powers went on to become a global success story over the past two hundred years, its heart always remained in Dublin and its public houses over the years.
In fact, Powers’ founder, James Powers, was a publican himself and his pub on John’s Lane stayed within the family until the closure of the distillery in the 1970s, so it only seems right that we honour the legacy of Powers and bring more of its Dublin history to light through six bars and put Powers firmly back on the whiskey map of Dublin. Across the Powers Quarter, Irish whiskey connoisseurs and casual fans alike can enjoy a sip back in time and learn about the true character of the Powers family as purveyors of Irish whiskey – and with whiskey tourism in Dublin booming to almost 400,000 visitors last year, we are confident that the Powers Quarter will enchant a whole new generation of whiskey fans.
– Carol Quinn: Archivist at Irish Distillers
About the Powers Quarter
The Powers Quarter experience consists of the following bars, historical facts and signature serves:
Thomas House, Thomas Street – a stone’s throw from John’s Lane, this modern-day dive bar is where many workers from the distillery would have dropped into for a drop of whiskey after work
Signature serve: Powers Gold Label neat
Market Bar, Fade Street – one of Dublin’s most popular gastropubs, on the site of the original Powers bottling hall, which was built in 1889 and shipped Powers Irish Whiskey around the world
Signature serve: Powers cocktail menu inspired by the workers of the bottling hall
The Oak, Parliament Street – the bar at this cosy pub in the bustling Temple Bar area has been fitted out with panels from the luxury liner ‘Mauretania’, which used to cross the Atlantic, and where Powers was the drink of choice – you could even have a glass delivered to your cabin
Signature serve: Powers Irish coffee
The Swan, York Street – a family-run pub that has supplied the locals with Powers for more than a hundred years – some of the historic Powers barrel heads can still be seen inside the bar counter today
Signature serve: Powers John’s Lane neat
Idlewild, Fade Street – a friendly neighbourhood bar and the site on which the first ever miniature spirit bottle in the world was invented by POWERS back in 1889
Signature serve: Powers Up cocktail
John Fallons The Capstan Bar, The Coombe – a Dublin institution, where workers from the John’s Lane distillery could have enjoyed a whiskey a Century ago – its original Victorian fixtures and Powers mirror still reflect the area’s rich history today
Signature serve: two Powers Three Swallow neat, toasted special and crisps to share
