Irish whiskey is thought to be the oldest to be the oldest distilled beverage in Europe, getting its start in the 12th Century. In fact, the Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in the world, first gaining a license from King James in 1608. But, in the world of fine beverages it is often overlooked until March rolls around and we all begin to crave the spicy bite of a good Irish whiskey.
The Irish were the original distillers of whiskey: earliest records date back to the 6th Century. The monks, who were the healers of their day, used spirit as a base for medicines, rubs and liniments. 16th century records show uisce beatha ( whiskey or water of life in Gaelic) being produced for consumption, but the art was still the preserve of the religious orders. It was not until the disillusion of the monasteries in the Tudor period that whiskey ceased to be the drink of the elite and became available for all to enjoy. In the early 1700s, Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, mentioned that “of all the wines, the Irish spirit is the best”.
Although Scotland sustains approximately 90 distilleries, Ireland has only four. Tough economic times in the last few centuries have led to most of the smaller distilleries closing. The four operating distilleries are: New Midleton Distillery (Jamesons, Powers, Paddy, Midleton, Redbreast, and others, plus the independently sold rarity Green Spot), Old Bushmills Distillery (all Old Bushmills, Black Bush, 1608, Bushmills 10-, 12- and 16- and 21-year-old single malts), Cooley Distillery (Connemara, some Knappogues, Michael Collins, Tyrconnell, and others) and the recently reopened Kilbeggan distillery, which began distilling again in 2007.
Irish whiskey comes in several forms. Most Irish whiskey contains alcohol continuously distilled from malted and unmalted barley and other grain, but there are a few Irish single malt whiskies made from 100% malted barley distilled in a pot still. Grain whiskey is much lighter and more neutral in flavor than single malt. So similar to your single malt scotches, a single malt Irish whiskey will have a more intense profile.
The old Jameson distillery in Dublin, Ireland.
Unique to Irish whiskey is the designation pure pot still whiskey. All single malt Scotch is produced via “pot still” methods but single malt from Ireland is called “pure pot still” to differentiate it from most other Irish whiskey and refers to whiskey made from 100% barley, mixed malted and unmalted, and distilled in a pot still. The “green” unmalted barley gives Irish whiskey its spicy flavor that separates it from bourbons, blends, and sour mashes. Unlike Scotch, the malted barley in Irish whiskey is dried in enclosed kilns, not over peat fires, and therefore lacks the ‘peaty smokiness’ of Scotch whiskies. This maintains the natural flavor of the barley as one of the defining characteristics of Irish whiskey, which are typically fragrant, with a roundness of body.
Also unique to Irish whiskey is the triple distillation process. This gives it a much more rounded, smooth flavor than Scotch. This provides the perfect base for an Irish Eyes, which is a cocktail that makes a very nice digestif in the same vein as a White Russian, but with more bite. Slainte!
Ingredients:
* 1 oz Irish whiskey
* 1/4 oz crème de menthe
* 2 oz cream
* maraschino cherry for garnish
Preparation:
1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass.
4. Garnish with the maraschino cherry.
Tags: history of irish whiskey, irish eyes cocktail, irish whiskey, St Patrick's Day drinks