Irish whiskey is one of the oldest continuously produced spirits in the world. The medieval monasteries of Ireland were among the first places in northern Europe to practise distillation, and the drink they produced — uisce beatha in the Irish language — gives us the very word 'whisky'.
The Victorian golden age
By the nineteenth century Ireland was the world's leading exporter of whiskey. Dublin was home to some of the largest distilleries on earth, and Irish whiskey was the whiskey most drunk in the United States, Britain and much of the Empire. The distinctive Single Pot Still style — made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and triple-distilled in vast copper stills — was regarded as the benchmark of quality.
For most of the nineteenth century, Irish whiskey was the whiskey of the world.
Decline and near-collapse
The twentieth century was catastrophic for Irish whiskey. Political upheaval, trade wars with Britain, the loss of the American market during Prohibition and the rise of blended Scotch combined to devastate the industry. By the middle of the century only a handful of Irish distilleries remained, and by 1980 fewer than three were still operating.
The modern revival
The turnaround has been one of the most remarkable stories in modern spirits. Since the 1990s the number of working Irish distilleries has grown from three to more than forty. Historic brands — Redbreast, Green Spot, Powers — have been revived and reimagined, and the once-endangered Single Pot Still style is celebrated once again as one of the most distinctive traditions in world whisky.
Ireland's whiskey story, in other words, is one of resilience — a heritage nearly lost and now emphatically reclaimed.