The Irish Revolution

There is a lot going on in Ireland at the moment, we summarise the recent developments

To say that Irish whiskey is experiencing something of a revival is pretty much an understatement. We will probably not see the level of distilleries return to where it was in the 1800s, when more than 2,000 distilleries were reputed to have dotted the landscape; but it certainly seems everyone now wants a piece of the Irish action.

With the main four, Jameson, Bushmills, Tullamore and Cooley, already in the hands of large companies, the revival Ireland is experiencing is really coming from a craft ethos echoing the boom time grassroots movement in the United States. This does not necessarily equate to poor quality or small ambitions, with most of the current crop of start ups ebullient about the market and looking to punch above their weight.

There is certainly plenty of movement with companies aiming to capitalise on the growth, with some returning to their roots. One big piece of news is that we might in the near future see a return to distilling in Dublin with the Teeling Whisky Company. Whiskey from the capital used to be such a revered thing many years ago, more popular than Midleton whiskey, it is exciting to think there could be a renaissance.

Also with Alltech reconnecting with distilling in Ireland and Tullamore on the brink of opening a new distillery in the town, provenance of place is fast becoming a watchword in Irish whiskey. The big battle ground at the moment, and the place where Irish whiskey is seeing some of its biggest growths is in America.

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• By : Rob Allanson
• In : Irish Whiskey
• Issue : 109
• Page : 14
• Words : 1,201