Travelers have long planned vacations around their favorite beverages—from Mexican tequila and Caribbean rum to Scotch and Irish whiskey—a tourism trend that has grown significantly in recent years.
According to the Scotch Whisky Association, more than two million people visited a Scotch whisky distillery or visitor center in 2022, more than doubling the amount of visitors in 2021. In Ireland, the growth is even more pronounced: Following two years of Covid-related closures, whiskey tourism increased by 425% in 2022, says the Irish Whiskey Association. Growth in spirits tourism is also happening in Mexico, Kentucky and beyond.
For some, accommodations on these sorts of trips are often an afterthought, mainly seen as a place to crash after a long day of tastings. That may not be the case much longer. A growing contingent of hotels have been upping the ante on spirits-fueled trips with rare bottles, record-breaking collections and other unique offerings that could warrant an unforgettable tasting experience in their own right.
From the 160-plus rare Irish whiskey bottles (some of which cannot be found anywhere else on earth) at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland, to Hilton Los Cabos’s collection of tequila bottles hand-painted by Mexican artists like Francisco Toledo, these well-stocked bars enable guests to sample a variety of spirits that would require weeks, months or even years of distillery visits in one fell swoop.
Whether you have a penchant for whiskey, tequila, rum or Cognac, there’s a hotel out there that’s sure to knock your spirits-loving socks off.
