Dingle Original Irish Vodka 750ml

Before there was Dingle Whiskey, and before there was Dingle Gin, there was Dingle Vodka — the very first spirit to come out of this small, converted sawmill on the Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry, on Ireland's rugged southwest Atlantic coast. Founded in 2012 by Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart, and Peter Mosley — the same trio behind the Porterhouse Brewing Company, pioneers of Ireland's craft beer movement — Dingle Distillery represented a genuine milestone when its first spirit trickled from the stills that November. Two hundred years earlier, Ireland had been home to more than a hundred officially recognized distilleries; by the turn of this century, only two remained. Dingle helped spark the revival that's since brought Irish craft distilling roaring back.

What makes Dingle Vodka genuinely distinctive is its process: pure grain spirit is distilled four times, then run through a fifth and final distillation in the distillery's own small copper pot still, affectionately named "Oisín." That extra pass is a genuine departure from most vodka production, and the distillery credits it directly with the spirit's remarkable purity. Every batch is produced small — just 500 liters at a time — and cut with water drawn from a well 240 feet below the distillery itself. The result has earned real, repeated recognition: Best Irish Vodka at the Irish Whiskey Awards in 2015, 2017, 2018, and again in 2024, alongside Gold and 94 points plus Vodka of the Year at the 2022 US spirits competition circuit, an 87-point score at the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and a Silver Medal at the 2018 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.

The tasting notes converge on a genuinely smooth, gently sweet, creamy profile. Dingle's own copy describes "an incredible soft and creamy mouthfeel with a hint of sweetness" closing on "a wonderful citrus finish." Hotaling & Co's extended tasting note describes a nose that's "clean with light pepper," developing on the palate into "wheat, pepper, citrus and faint anise," closing on a "creamy mouthfeel with light fruit and vanilla." One Master of Malt customer, tasting it directly on a tour of the distillery itself, put it simply: "not much of a vodka drinker myself, but this was really smooth and easy to drink" — a sentiment echoed across more than 35,000 five-star reviews on that platform alone. This is genuinely artisan, small-batch Irish vodka, made by the distillery that helped restart Ireland's entire craft spirits tradition.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Dingle Original Irish Vodka is produced at Dingle Distillery, founded in 2012 by Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart, and Peter Mosley — the founders of the Porterhouse Brewing Company and pioneers of Ireland's craft beer movement. Housed in a converted old sawmill in Milltown, on the outskirts of Dingle in County Kerry, the distillery marked a genuine milestone for Irish spirits when its first raw spirit poured in November 2012, reviving a tradition of independent Irish distilling that had all but disappeared over the preceding two centuries. Dingle Vodka was the distillery's very first product, released before either its whiskey or gin.

The vodka is made from pure grain spirit, distilled four times before a fifth and final pass through the distillery's small copper pot still, named "Oisín" — a quintuple-distillation process the distillery credits directly with the vodka's exceptional purity. Every batch is produced in small runs of just 500 liters, cut with water drawn from a well 240 feet below the distillery. Bottled at 40% ABV / 80 proof. Dingle Distillery is owned by the Porterhouse Group.

Critics Reviews

Best Irish Vodka — Irish Whiskey Awards, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2024

Gold Medal, 94 Points, Vodka of the Year — 2022 US spirits competition

87 Points — Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2019

Silver Medal — New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, 2018

Master of Malt community:
"Tried this vodka when on a tour of the Dingle Distillery. Not much of a vodka drinker myself but this was really smooth and easy to drink." A separate reviewer added: "A highlight of my trip to Ireland. Dingle was my favorite few days and this is one reason why. This is a smooth, easy drinker."

Hotaling & Co (extended tasting note):
"Smooth tasting, premium vodka handmade in Dingle. Aroma: Clean with light pepper. Palate: Wheat, pepper, citrus and faint anise. Finish: Creamy mouth feel with light fruit and vanilla."

Dingle Distillery (official tasting notes):
"An incredible soft and creamy mouth feel with a hint of sweetness. A wonderful citrus finish."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Clean, with light pepper and subtle grain character.

Palate
Wheat and pepper lead, joined by citrus and a faint touch of anise, carried on a soft, creamy mouthfeel with a hint of natural sweetness.

Finish
Creamy and smooth, closing with light fruit, vanilla, and a genuinely wonderful citrus note — clean and refreshing throughout.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Suggestions

Neat or Well Chilled — genuinely smooth enough for straightforward sipping, per distillery visitors.

Vodka Martini
2.5 oz Dingle Original Vodka · dry vermouth to taste · lemon twist.

Vodka Soda
2 oz Dingle Original Vodka · soda water · fresh lime.