World Whiskies Awards 2026 -Ireland Winners Announced
The winners of the 2026 World Whiskies Awards Ireland and Icons of Whisky Ireland have been revealed.
The winning products, people, and places have been announced in the World Whiskies Awards Ireland 2026. The awards were announced at a ceremony held at the InterContinental Dublin on 26 February 2026.View winners
here.
The event brought together leading figures from across the Irish whiskey industry to celebrate the year’s successes. The awards announced the country winners in the Ireland tasting round of the World Whiskies Awards 2026, celebrating excellence in categories across Irish whiskey, including single malt, pot still, and grain.
The Icons of Whisky Ireland 2026 honours the people and places of Ireland’s whiskey community. Among those named Icons this year were Teeling Whiskey’s Alex Chasko as Master Distiller of the Year, Midleton Distillery as Distiller of the Year, and the team from Killowen Distillery as Production Team of the Year.
During the ceremony, the latest inductee was welcomed into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame. David Quinn, whose 40-year-plus career at Irish Distillers has seen him hold roles including master distiller for Bushmills and technical director of Irish Distillers, became Inductee No 108 of the Hall of Fame.
Anita Ujszaszi, awards director, commented: “We’re incredibly proud to celebrate the continued excellence and innovation shown by producers across Ireland this year. The standard of entries for the World Whiskies Awards Ireland has once again demonstrated the depth of skill, heritage, and forward-thinking that defines Irish whiskey today. From established distilleries to emerging names, the passion and commitment to quality across the category is clear, and it’s an honour to recognise the people and teams behind these outstanding whiskies.”
Bradley Weir, chair of judges for the World Whiskies Awards, said: “It has been invigorating to taste such a high standard of Irish whiskey — which should come as no surprise given the continued excellence of Ireland’s distillers. The quality of the liquid is exciting, and I know my fellow judges will agree that the industry in Ireland can be extremely proud of itself. Speaking of judges, I want to also dedicate a moment to thank them for their continued hard work and expertise, as well as the rest of the awards team.”
Sponsors and partners of the World Whiskies Awards Ireland 2026 include: Glencairn Crystal, Amorim Top Series, McLaren Presentation, IPL Packaging, and Smurfit Westrock.
Winners of the World Whiskies Awards Ireland will go on to compete for the title of World’s Best in their category. The Icons of Whisky Ireland will also compete for the title of Global Icon, offering people and places of whisky to be recognised on a global stage.
The results of the global competition will be announced at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 Global Dinner on 25 March 2026. Tickets for the global dinner can be purchased
here. The results from the Scotland, America, and Rest of World rounds have already been announced.
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