The history of Irish whiskey
Irish whiskey has one of the most dramatic stories in drinks: early origins, a golden age in Dublin, a near collapse and a revival that is still going. Here is the history and what it left in the glass.
Ireland has a strong claim to the earliest whiskey
Irish monks are often credited with bringing distillation to Ireland from the Mediterranean, where it was used to make perfumes and medicines. Hard proof is thin, but an early written mention appears in Irish annals for 1405, recording a chieftain who died after drinking too much aqua vitae. In Irish Gaelic the phrase is uisce beatha, water of life. Ireland and Scotland still argue amiably about who was first.
In 1608 a licence to distil was granted in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. The distillery at Bushmills in that area claims the licence as its founding date, which makes it one of the oldest licensed distilling sites in the world.
A malt tax created a unique style
In the late eighteenth century Britain taxed malted barley. Irish distillers responded by mixing malted barley with unmalted raw barley in the mash. The unmalted grain gave a spicy, creamy, oily character when distilled in large copper pot stills, usually three times.
That style survives today as single pot still Irish whiskey, made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley at one distillery. It is the most distinctively Irish whiskey there is. Our guide to single pot still Irish whiskey goes into the detail.
Dublin led the world, then lost its lead
In the nineteenth century Dublin's great distilleries were among the largest in the world. Irish whiskey sold strongly in Britain, the empire and America. Irish pot still whiskey had a reputation for quality that early Scotch struggled to match.
The irony is that the invention which helped Scotch overtake it was Irish. Aeneas Coffey, a Dubliner and former excise official, patented his continuous column still in 1830. Many of the big Dublin distillers rejected it as making an inferior, characterless spirit. Scottish distillers adopted it, made cheap grain whisky and built blended Scotch. Our guide on how the Coffey still changed whisky covers what followed.
Wars, trade disputes and Prohibition nearly killed it
The early twentieth century hit Irish whiskey from every side. The War of Independence and Civil War disrupted trade. After independence, a trade war with Britain in the 1930s shut off a vital market. American Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 closed the biggest export market of all. Counterfeit Irish whiskey sold during those years damaged the name.
Distilleries closed one after another. In 1966 the remaining southern distillers merged. By the late 1970s Ireland had only two working whiskey distilleries: Bushmills in the north and a new, combined distillery at Midleton in County Cork, opened in 1975.
The rules that define Irish whiskey today
The Irish Whiskey Act of 1980 set legal rules, later extended in a technical file for Irish whiskey as a geographical indication. In short, Irish whiskey must be distilled on the island of Ireland from a mash of cereals, distilled to less than 94.8% ABV and matured for at least three years in wooden casks in Ireland or Northern Ireland. It is bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV.
There are four recognised styles: single malt, single pot still, single grain and blended. Triple distillation is common but not required. Most Irish whiskey is unpeated, which is one reason it often tastes softer than Scotch.
Irish coffee came from an airport
One of the best known Irish whiskey drinks has a surprisingly modern origin. In the 1940s, flying boats crossing the Atlantic stopped at Foynes on the Shannon estuary in County Limerick. The story goes that a chef there served cold, tired passengers hot coffee with Irish whiskey, brown sugar and a layer of lightly whipped cream floated on top. The drink travelled to San Francisco in the 1950s and became famous.
The recipe still works because of its balance. Strong coffee carries the bitterness, sugar balances it and the cream should sit on top rather than mix in. If the cream sinks, it was whipped too little or poured too fast over a spoon. Our guide to Irish coffee gives the method. Like any spirit drink served hot, it is easy to drink quickly, so one is plenty.
The revival is still going
From the 1990s Irish whiskey began growing again, led by blended brands sold abroad. In the last fifteen years or so the number of distilleries on the island has risen from a handful to dozens. Many newer distilleries are still young and release spirit bought from established producers while their own stocks mature.
To taste the history, put a blended Irish whiskey beside a single pot still. Look for the light, fruity softness in the blend and the spice, cream and thicker texture in the pot still. Nose each first, add a few drops of water and keep the measures small. A glass of water between them helps your palate more than the next pour does.
Common questions
Is Irish whiskey always triple distilled?
No. Triple distillation is traditional and common, but the rules do not require it. Some Irish whiskeys are double distilled.
What is single pot still Irish whiskey?
Whiskey made at one distillery from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, distilled in pot stills. It has a spicy, creamy character.
Why is it spelled whiskey in Ireland?
Irish and American producers mostly use whiskey with an e, while Scotland, Canada, Japan and India mostly use whisky. The spelling is a convention, not a rule.
How long must Irish whiskey be aged?
At least three years in wooden casks on the island of Ireland.
