Irish Alcohol

West Cork Whiskey

When you think of Ireland, it is impossible to think of it without thinking of Guinness. However, this world-famous beer is not the only alcohol created in Ireland. As mentioned in my previous blog, Irish moonshine (poitín) was popular in Ireland during the 19th century. There was no official recipe for a beverage to be considered poitín until 2015 when the Irish government created the Geographical Indication technical file for poitín, outlining the production methods that must be used in order for a spirit to be called Irish Poitín. This move was considered silly by some, as the concept of legal Poitín is in itself an oxymoron. Poitín is traditionally made from a barley base and can be anywhere between 40-90% ABV.

Furthermore, Irish Whisky was once the most popular alcohol in the world. During the height of this popularity, there were 28 distilleries in Ireland in the 1890, but by 1966, that number had fallen to just two. This decline was tied directly to the Irish War of Independence, which cut off exports to the UK, one of the largest consumers of Irish Whiskey at the time. American Prohibition also contributed to the market's vanishing. However, Cooley Distillery was established in 1987, and since then, Irish whisky has been the fastest-growing spirit in the world, with exports increasing by around 15% per year. We have a huge distillery located in West Cork. Irish whisky was originally brewed by monks who, it is believed, brought the technique of distilling perfumes back to Ireland around 1,000 AD. However, this original Irish Whiskey would not have been considered a true whiskey as it would not have been aged. A modern version of this original recipe can be found in the form of Irish Mist, a honey liqueur.

Which brings us back to Guinness. Beer making in Ireland dates back all the way to the Bronze Age, with a beer known as Beoir. These beers were crafted from various grains and flavored with bog myrtle and meadowsweet. In 1756, Arthur Guinness bought a small brewery in Leixlip, in County Kildare. Three years later, he took out a 9,000-year lease in Dublin for 45 pounds a year, and it has been the home of Guinness ever since. By 1820, Guinness was the largest distillery in the world.