Have you had a drink at any of these spots?
In the face of heated competition from 500 entries, Dublin venue Bar 1661 has been crowned Ireland’s Bar of the Year for 2022.
Now in its 17th year, the Bar of the Year Awards took place on Monday (22 August) to recognise “the excellent bars, knowledgeable staff and innovation” in the trade throughout the country.
Bar 1661, located on Green Street in Dublin 7, opened its doors in April of 2019 and is named after the year poitín was banned in Ireland.
“Bar 1661’s mission is to pay homage to all of Ireland’s native drinks, but especially poitín, writing its own chapter in the colourful story of this once notorious Irish spirit and ensuring its place in the modern canon of Irish drinks,” the pub has said.
“Bar 1661 is proud to serve the niche beside the revered; the up and coming with the established; the traditional as well as the innovative — each small parts of a passionate bigger story about the future of Irish drinks.”
Along with taking home the top prize of Irish Bar of the Year, Bar 1661 also won gold for Innovative Bar of the Year and bronze for Cocktail Bar of the Year.
Its owner and founder Dave Mulligan said the wins were a “huge reward” for the pub’s team who he said “worked tirelessly” over two years to bring the venue to unrivalled standards.
“A shared love of cocktail bars and Irish spirits drives us to be the best we can be and shining a spotlight on poitín makes it all worthwhile,” he added.
In terms of some of the other categories, The Tack Room at Adare Manor in Limerick won Cocktail Bar of the Year, R.I.O.T Bar in Dublin was crowned Late Bar/Nightclub of the Year while Piglet Wine Bar in the capital was named Wine Bar of the Year.
Meanwhile, the pressure was not just on the judging panel, as each shortlisted property was put forward for The Dingle Gin People’s Choice Award, which was voted for by the public.
Dolans in Limerick took home the top prize in this category.
For the full list of winners at the 2022 Bar of the Year Awards, visit the event’s website here.
