Ireland

Today, Ireland is home to some of the most famous and recognizable names in the whiskey industry, including both Jameson and Bushmills. Modern Irish distillers have been able to build on the proud history of the Irish whiskey industry, which traces its origins all the way back to the 18th century.

History

By the late 1700’s, there were more than 1,000 different distilleries in Ireland, although many of them were distilling whiskey illicitly in order to pay onerous taxes to the government. At the time, Ireland’s smooth, triple-distilled whiskey was considered the best in the world, with its quality generally viewed as being superior even to that of Scotch whisky.

However, in the 1820’s, a technological development forever changed the trajectory of the Irish whiskey industry. In 1823, Scotland embraced the columnstill, which made it possible to significantly shorten the distillation period for whisky. However, Irish traditionalists stuck to the triple-distillation, pot-still method that produced a smoother whiskey – but at the expense of not being able to get a whiskey to market as quickly as desired. By 1880, only 160 distilleries remained in Ireland, a result of Irish distillers losing out in the competitive marketplace to Scotch distillers.

Moreover, the Irish whiskey industry took another dangerous turn at the beginning of the 20th century, when the 1919 war for independence (with Great Britain) led to Irish whiskey production grinding to a near standstill. A very strict trade embargo resulted, and that further cut into the profits of Irish distillers.

Then, in the 1920’s, Prohibition in the United States took hold, and that also had a significant impact on overseas whiskey demand. When Prohibition was finally lifted in 1933, Scotland’s distilleries were in a much better position to meet rising demand, and further squeezed out Irish distillers, who still clung to the much slower, more time-intensive process involving triple distillation and the pot-still method. By 1945, in fact, there were only 7 active distilleries remaining in Ireland – an almost unthinkable turn of events if one considers that 200 years earlier, there were nearly 1,000 distilleries!

It was in 1952, however, that a seemingly random event occurred that helped to restore the luster of Irish whiskey in the vital U.S. market – a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle brought Irish coffee (coffee plus Irish whiskey plus cream) to the U.S. after drinking it at Shannon Airport in Ireland. The decision to serve Irish coffee at a San Francisco café set off a chain of events that helped to popularize Irish whiskey in the U.S. Since 1990, Irish whiskey has been the fastest-growing spirit in the world, with exports growing at a rate of 15% per year. As of 2017, Ireland had 18 active distilleries in operation, with another 16 in the planning stages.

Styles

There are two key techniques that help to determine the uniqueness of Irish whiskey. The first of these is the single pot-still methodology that mixes together malted and unmalted barley to produce a fresher and spicier alcoholic beverage. In contrast, single malt whiskies are made entirely with malted barley.

The second major technique is the triple distillation approach that helps to produce a whiskey with a smoother, lighter character. Not all Irish whiskies are triple-distilled, but the technique is popular enough that it has become a defining feature of Irish whiskey. In contrast, Scotch whiskey is typically only distilled twice.

Peat is rarely used during the malting process, and as a result, Irish whiskey has a smoother finish than smoky, earthy and peaty Scotch whiskies. One notable exception, though, comes from the Cooley Distillery, which produces Connemara peated Irish double malt.

Famous whiskey distilleries to visit

Jameson is now the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world, and a classic starting point for anyone curious about getting started with Irish whiskey. Jameson traces its history back to 1780 and the Bow Street Distillery in Dublin. Originally produced in Dublin, Jameson is now distilled in Cork. Visitors can learn more at Cork’s New Midlteon Distillery, which has been owned by Irish Distillers (a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard) since 1988.

Another famous Irish whiskey maker is Bushmills. The famous Old Bushmills Distillery traces its origin back to 1784. Its single malt whiskies are aged 10, 16, or 21 years in bourbon and sherry casks. In addition to these single malts, Old Bushmills also produces a range of blended whiskies, including Bushmills Original and Black Bush. Due to a 1608 license to distill grain spirits, Old Bushmills can be considered the oldest licensed distillery in the world.  Previously owned by Pernod Richard and Diageo, it is now owned by Jose Cuervo.

Cooley Distillery was established in 1987, and at the time of its founding, was the only independent distillery in Ireland. However, it is now owned by Beam Suntory. It produces the Connemara, Tyrconnell, Kilbeggan, and 2 Gingers whiskies.

Other distilleries worth visiting in any tour of Ireland include Teeling Distillery (Dublin), Tullamore Distillery, and Slane Distillery (built on the site of the historic Slane Castle).