Organisers pictured outside McCaffrey’s Bar, Tralee, ahead of the Heritage Whiskey Tasting in support of Meals on Wheels Tralee. From left: John McCarthy, Tralee Food Festival; Niell O’Shea, McCaffrey’s Bar; Paddy Kevane, Meals on Wheels Tralee; Ken Tobin, Tralee Food Festival; and Neil Saad, Kingdom Whiskey Experiences. Photo credit: Mary McQuinn, Tralee Food FestivalKINGDOM Whiskey Experiences, in partnership with McCaffrey’s Bar and the Tralee Food Festival (May 16-17), is set to host a special Heritage Whiskey Tasting in support of Meals on Wheels Tralee.
Taking place on Friday, May 15 at 7.30pm in McCaffrey’s Bar, the event promises to bring attendees on an immersive journey through the history of Irish whiskey, combining storytelling with carefully curated samples reflecting key moments in Ireland’s distilling heritage.
Neil Saad of Kingdom Whiskey Experiences described the event as “more than a traditional whiskey tasting,” highlighting its focus on storytelling, cultural heritage, and immersive experience.
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.Proceeds from the event will support Meals on Wheels Tralee, a vital local service providing meals and support to people across the community.
The experience begins in 14th-century Kilkenny, where the earliest written reference to Aqua Vitae — widely regarded as the precursor to modern Irish whiskey — was recorded in the Red Book of Ossory.
From there, guests will be transported to 19th-century Connemara, an area once synonymous with illicit poitín production, before returning to modern-day Kerry to explore the region’s contemporary craft whiskey scene.
Each stage of the journey will be accompanied by an authentic drink, including a recreation of historic Aqua Vitae, a heritage-style poitín, and a selection of locally produced Kerry whiskeys generously donated by Portmagee Whiskey, Skellig Six18 Distillery, and Wayward Irish Spirits, producers of The Liberator Whiskey.
Tickets are priced at €49 per person and are available at:
https://www.kingdomwhiskey.com/tralee-food-festival-2026
