The History of Irish Whiskey: From Monasteries to Renaissance
Irish whiskey most likely originated back in the Middle Ages, when Irish monks brought the art of distillation from southern Europe. From its position as the world's biggest producer in the 19th century it fell to the brink of extinction, only to enjoy, from the 1990s onwards, one of the greatest renaissances in the history of spirits.
Where did whiskey come from?
According to tradition, the art of distillation was brought to Ireland by monks around the 12th century; originally they distilled perfumes and medicines. The English word whiskey arose as a corruption of the Gaelic "uisce beatha" (water of life). The first written record of distillation in Ireland dates from 1405, almost 90 years before the first Scottish record of 1494.
What did the golden age look like?
In the 19th century Ireland was a whiskey superpower:
- more than 1,200 distilleries operated on the island (including illicit ones)
- Dublin pot still whiskey was the most sought-after in the world
- distilleries such as Jameson, Powers and George Roe ranked among the biggest producers on the globe
Irish whiskey was beating Scotch hands down.
What caused the fall?
Everything hit at once: the War of Independence and the trade war with Britain cut off the empire's markets, American Prohibition (1920 to 1933) wiped out the key export market, and meanwhile the Scots conquered the world with cheaper blended whisky from the column still, a device the Irish disdained. The result: by the 1980s only two working distilleries remained in the whole of Ireland, Midleton and Bushmills.
When did the renaissance begin?
The turnaround came with Jameson's global success in the 1990s and the opening of the Cooley distillery (1987). The real boom, though, arrived after 2010: in 2015 Teeling opened the first new distillery in Dublin for 125 years, and today more than 40 distilleries are at work in Ireland. Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing category of premium spirits in the world.
Where can you taste the renaissance?
You can drink your way through the whole story at a single bar, from the Midleton classics to the new wave. At Little Island in Frydek-Mistek we have offered over 50 Irish and world whiskeys since 2009. Call in at tr. T. G. Masaryka 1129, or take a peek at /napojovy-listek.