Irish Whiskey Day

It’s no secret that Irish whiskey is experiencing an astonishingly real renaissance around the world and today March 3rd is Irish Whiskey Day, marking the celebration of Irish Whiskey or Uisce Beatha” (The Water of Life).

The Irish whiskey sector is once again on an upward curve, producing whiskey of real quality, versatility and consistency. And with more and more distilleries coming on board, Irish Whiskey is ready and set for a new golden age.

March is the 3rd month of the year, the Shamrock has 3 leaves (standing for Faith, Hope and Love) and let’s not forget the Irish flag – the famous tri-colour.

So when it comes to Irish Whiskey and Irish Whiskey Day – 3 really is the magic number!

Here are 3 known Whiskey Facts – 

There are three established styles of Irish Whiskey: Single Grain, Single Malt and Single Pot Still. Single Grain Irish Whiskey is when the spirit comes off a column still at over 90% alcohol, making it much lighter than its pot still and malt counterparts. Irish Single Malt whiskeys are made solely from malted barley and are distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Single Pot Still whiskey is a spirit distilled from a mash of both malted and unmalted barley, giving it a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel and a spicy, orchard fruit flavour.

There’s the fact that traditional Irish Whiskey is triple distilled – Triple-distilled whiskey must be distilled three times, usually in copper pot stills. It’s a more expensive process than double-distillation or continuous distillation. Triple-distillation creates whiskies that are often described as smooth. By refining the spirit over three distillations rather than two, the distiller concentrates a particular fraction of aromatic and flavorful compounds, which results in a smoother taste and a subdued finish.

Irish Whiskey must be matured for at least three years before it can be called whiskey.

A Story of Irish Whiskey – Irish Distillers Podcasts

Irish whiskey’s popularity hit a peak in the Victorian era, when the Gold Irish spirit flowed out of the country’s cities and towns on an industrial scale. It was the drink of choice of the British Empire and beyond. Then Irish Whiskey hit a very low point in the 1970s and 1980s, when there was only two distilleries operating on the Emerald Isle, after American prohibition and independence from Britain caused the closure of whiskey distillery after whiskey distillery.

Luckily a few Irish distilleries managed to keep the golden flame alive. Powers, Jameson and Cork Distillers consolidated in the Midleton Distillery in the 1970’s to produce the traditional pure pot still whiskey under the Irish Distillers umbrella, and Bushmills Distillery in County Armagh in Northern Ireland joined the partnership with their triple-distilled malt. Entrepreneur John Teeling also saw an opportunity in the “Golden Triangle” in Dublin City and broadened the spectrum further with a double-distilled malt, peated and unpeated, as well as single grain whiskey.

Every family has secrets. And family dynasties surely have more secrets than most. How exactly does generation after generation seemingly have the Midas touch, conquering markets around the globe from the US to China? Explore the great podcast series brought to you by Irish Distillers on the rise, fall and rise again of Irish whiskey on the world stage.

“Tracing the story of Irish whiskey’s meteoric rise in the 1800s to its fall in the aftermath of revolution and wars in the 20th century to finally its renaissance in the 21st. With a cast of colourful, innovative and fearless characters from the three main Irish whiskey families – the Jameson’s, Powers and Murphy’s – experience this story of Irish whiskey as never before” (c) irishdistillers.ie

Plan your own Golden Irish Whiskey Trail with us.

From large distilleries to smaller craft distilleries, there are a number of Irish Whiskey Distilleries to visit on your next vacation in Ireland including the following (* Just to note that they are not listed in any particular order and they will all help you raise a glass and to feel the warmth of the Irish Spirit! )

Jameson Distillery Bow Street, Dublin City

Jameson Distillery Midleton, County Cork

Dublin Liberties Distillery, Dublin City

Teeling Distillery, Dublin City 

Roe & Co Distillery, Dublin City

Pearse Lyons Distillery, Dublin City

Royal Oak Distillery, County Carlow

Slane Distillery, County Meath

Powerscourt Distillery, County Wicklow

Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim

Tullamore DEW Distillery, County Offaly

Kilbeggan Distillery, County Westmeath

Clonakilty Distillery, County Cork

Dingle Distillery, County Kerry

Ballykeefe Distillery, County Kilkenny.

Lambay Whiskey Distillery, County Dublin. 

The Sliabh Liag Distillery, County Donegal

Connacht Distillery, County Mayo. 

Echlinville Distillery, County Down

Waterford Distillery, Waterford City

Micil Distillery, County Galway

The Irish Whiskey Museum in the heart of Dublin City, is independent of all whiskey distilleries, and offers its visitors the opportunity to taste and experience a selection of 3 Irish Whiskies. Each of the four different rooms in the Irish Whiskey Museum is themed to represent a different period in Irish history. Whether it’s single grain, malt, pot still or a blended whiskey, the museum’s whiskey experts will always be able to help you find the perfect whiskey to suit your palate.

Can a glass improve the taste of whiskey? 

The House of Waterford Crystal have mentioned on their facebook page “that you will get more aromatics and flavour from your whiskey, when you use whiskey-specific glassware like Short Stories or their Lismore Connoisseur tumblers. This makes your whiskey tasting experience even better”.  Irish whiskey’s are truly appreciated when experienced in the proper shaped glass wide enough for all types to breathe, and allow for a pleasant and ‘neat’ swirling experience. Using the correct glass is always a hallmark of good taste. When you pour your choice of liquor into a glass designed for whiskey, your senses are more alert to the flavour and scent. You become more aware of your whiskey’s aromatics and its subtle notes. Whiskey glasses from Waterford’s Short Stories series are a crowning achievement of crystal craftsmanship and the pinnacle of elite fine whiskey enjoyment. Tumblers in these collections serves the whiskey connoisseur who enjoys their drink either neat, with a splash of water, a dash of soda or an ice cube or two. 

Irish Saints and Spirits

The word Sláinte (“To your health”) is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland. So let’s raise a glass and while getting warmed up for the imminent St Patrick’s Day celebrations – exactly two weeks away from today – plan a journey with Specialized Travel Services for 2022! Discover the Irish spirit, the beautiful landscapes, the buzzing cities and a warm Irish welcome with us. There is a special treasure trove in Ireland waiting to be explored and to find out more please don’t hesitate to get in touch 

You could also check out our group tours such as the “Saints and Spirits Tour” and the “Greens and Golds of Ireland” or our private chauffeur vacations for even more ideas on what to visit in Ireland. Discover the many hidden gems of the Emerald Isle on a vacation of a lifetime with our knowledgeable driver guides.

Our “Gift of Ireland” gift certificates allow you to choose a customized vacation that is both personal and wonderful. There is flexibility to use our gift certificates for any of our travel services, including self-drive tours, escorted tours, private group tours and tailor made vacations. You can use the “Gift of Ireland” towards hotel accommodation, airport transfers, visitor attractions, a round of golf, afternoon tea, a medieval castle banquet or a romantic evening meal….. The list is endless. Plus they are valid for 5 years from date of purchase. The “Gift of Ireland” really is the special gift that keeps on giving!

We love hearing from our friends around the world who share a passion for Ireland like our team here at Specialized Travel Services and we’re more than happy to answer your travel to Ireland queries. Just drop us a line at newyork@jeremyd50.sg-host.com

Note: Featured image at the top of the blog is copyright from forbes.com and courtesy of © Brands – From left: Powers Gold Label, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast 12, West Cork Bourbon Cask, Tullamore D.E.W, Dingle Single Pot Still, Knappogue 51, Connemara Peated Single Malt, Bushmills 16, J.J. Corry The Gael, Yellow Spot 12, Redbreast 25 Year Single Pot Still, Greenspot 10, Teeling Small Batch – PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS