The jaded history of Irish whiskey worldwide has always been shrouded in a tumultuous history, taxes being avoided & in the modern age, late night shots at the bar. But Irish whiskey is more than a shot; it is a dynamic spirit of the ages that can be worked into many drinks classic and modern.

Fuisce or uisce beatha in its native Ireland has long since been in the shadow of it’s more dominant neighbour, Scotch. Lighter, more fragrant with the higher end representing a smoother finish due to its triple distillation. The rules that surround the spirit are somewhat less convoluted that its brethren. The simplicity in their rules lends to experimentation and innovation outside the realms of the classic styles. Irish whiskey must obviously be distilled and aged in Ireland, distilled to no more than 94.8%ABV, aged for 3 years in oak no larger than 700 litres. All this leads to a far more varied spirit from light, floral column still to peated, heavy pot stilled spirits and everything in between.

There are several types of whiskey common to Ireland including single pot still, single malt, single grain and blended. Single Pot is a mash of malted barley and unmalted barley distilled in a pot still sometimes known as pure pot still which is very traditional to Ireland; single malt, single grain and blended are relatively self explanatory. Bushmill’s has the claim that they are the oldest surviving distillery in the world, starting distilling in 1608 while the company became registered in 1784 due to the English rule and need for taxes to be imposed on the burgeoning whiskey coming from Ireland.

Irish whiskey was at one stage, the number one selling whiskey in the US until the enacting of the Volstead Act and the beginning of prohibition, between this and the Irish War of Independence & subsequent civil war, exports halted; shuttering many distilleries by the 1960’s & the birth of Blended Scotch Whisky.By 1966, the remaining distillers amalgamated under the Irish Distillers banner to pool their resources and crawl back up from the recession of whiskey export. By the mid 1970’s, two distillers remained producing only 400-500,000 cases a year well short of the boom of 1900 of 12 million cases worldwide. Finally in 1988, Pernod Ricard stepped in and bought Irish Distillers and building brands such as Jameson and building the export and consumption of Irish Whiskey back to the projected sale of 12 million cases in 2018.

Much of this resurgence has aligned with the people behind the recreation of cocktail culture the world over. Jack McGarry along with Sean Muldoon, partners in the World’s Best Bar for 2015 at the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail, Dead Rabbit in New York. Along with their new project in Chicago, Green River; they showcase Irish culture and whiskey that has been twined amongst the American history from the settling of cities to the tumultuous years of American revolt against immigrants especially the Irish. If you would like a reference point to the name Dead Rabbit, just watch Gangs of New York and you begin to get a slither of history. Dead Rabbit is the epicentre of Irish whiskey culture for the world, a true Irish pub combined with turn of the century cocktail sensibility; the menus, the atmosphere & the design is so reminiscent of a turn of the century New York tavern, it cannot be put into words on the page.

Jack explained why Irish whiskey is so important in his life. “We love mixing with Irish whiskey because we want to challenge the misconception surrounding the category. Irish whiskey for many years has been pigeonholed as a shooting spirit due to the popularity of serves such as the pickle back. Bartenders therefore approach the class with skepticism due to its success as a shooter. However, the style that made Irish Whiskey famous back in the 19th century, Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, is currently going through a renaissance period and we now have a plethora or options to choose from with the deliciously light & accessible Blended Irish Whiskey's, the fragrant Single Malts and the spicy Single Pot Stills. We are all about showcasing our native spirits in a world class cocktail environment.”

Irish whiskey has a following that cuts deeper than many scotches can attest to, a testament to overcoming wars, poverty, taxes and prohibition to rise above its adversaries and become one of the driving forces in the whiskey world. Much like the people of Ireland, you can beat them down but they will always rise.

TIPPERARY

1 ½ oz. Irish whiskey
2/3 oz. Sweet vermouth
1/4 oz. green Chartreuse

Glass – small coupe

Method – Stir with ice and strain

Garnish – Lemon twist