Enjoyed: Monday, April 3, 2023

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “The Old Fashioned”. The other drinks of the evening: “Irish Penicillin” (Teeling Small Batch Whiskey, shaken with lemon juice and a Ginger, honey syrup, finished with a Floated Peated Irish Whiskey and crystallized ginger); a shot of Red Breast 15 Year Irish whiskey, presented with ice and water; and Dingle Gin with The London Essence tonic water.

Ingredients: Teeling Small Batch Whiskey, Angostura bitters, sugar syrup, finished with freshly peeled citrus and a cherry.

The occasion: We spent the morning walking through St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Chester Beatty Museum, and the Dubh Linn Garden. After a short rest, we met a tour group at the Molly Malone statue and headed out via coach to the Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin. The mountains were dramatic, as was “Guinness Lake” complete with a white sand “foam” on one end, but my favorite part was seeing the rolling green hills dotted with sheep–and frolicking lambs! The tour then proceeded to Glendalough, where we walked through the park and marveled at the remains of a sixth-century monastic city. I especially loved the Round Tower and all the sagging tombstones. Once we returned to Dublin, we wandered into The Bank on College Green, so close to Trinity College. Happily, seats were available at the bar, and we had two full hours until our supper reservations at The Boxty House.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The bartender (wow, so many handsome bartenders in this city!) asked if we wanted our drinks smoked–of course we did! He placed the Old Fashioned and the Irish Penicillin in a pretty cloche and turned on the smoke, which added a star to the rating. Teeling is locally made in small batches (compared to Jameson!), and aged in bourbon barrels and then in rum casks. The flavor was smoky and fruity, with some toffee notes.

Final thoughts: The Bank is the most gorgeous bar we have ever visited. The former Belfast Bank building, rich with grandiose Victorian design, took two years to complete in 1894, and the results are spectacular: a remarkable stained glass ceiling, mosaic tiled floors, hand-carved plasterwork, statues, and marble columns. We were truly enchanted.