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Explore a curated selection of articles from every issue of Irish Whiskey Magazine. Only available to our Digital and Premium Subscribers.
The Mash of History – by Dave Broom
Historic Mashbills Dave Broom In August this year, as part of his ongoing thesis with TU Dublin, historian Fionnán O’Connor gathered together two groups of distillers and writers to blind taste a selection of new make spirits made from historic single pot still...
Investing in an Irish Whiskey Cask Program
Opinions – Argentina
Whiskey, as a Component in Recipes
Whiskey, as a Component in Recipes Seáneen Sullivan A text popped up on my phone: ‘Do you think we will be back for asparagus season?’ It was from one of the young chefs I work with . He had recent ly graduated to working the pass, having started on the...
Opinions – Russia
Opinions – Russia Alexey Pyatnitskikh More and more people are learning traditional Irish dance. There are many fans of Irish folk music. Weeks of Irish cinema regularly sell out. And every year the number of people participating in the celebration of St....
Beer barrel aged whiskeys
Charles Maclean visits Dingle
Charles Maclean Visits Dingle October 11th 2019 saw Scottish whisky legend, author and Keeper of the Quaich, Charles MacLean, take time out from his very busy schedule to visit Dingle October 11th 2019 saw Scottish whisky legend, author and Keeper of the Quaich,...
1661 cocktail bar
1661 Cocktail Bar Tucked into a little corner just off Capel Street in the up-and-coming part of North Dublin you’ll find Bar 1661. The bar itself is warm and dark, that kind of warm darkness that only cold Irish nights bring out. There’s no TV, no blasting...
A highland fling
A Highland Fling Have any of us ever wondered just what a whiskey festival would look like at its inception? For those of us who have ever visited any festival which has been up and running for a period of time, by and large, everything seems to be going...
Conor McQuaid – First Year
Conor McQuaid – First Year Arguably the most influential role in the Irish whiskey sector and one year on from being appointed CEO and Chairman at Irish Distillers (IDL), we met with Conor McQuaid in their headquarters in Ballsbridge, Dublin. IWM:...
Haven in Crosshaven
Haven in Crosshaven In our series of Great Whiskey Bars, we travel to Crosshaven, County Cork, a quaint village on the south bank of the Owenabue estuary just thirty minutes drive from Cork city centre. It’s here in this village with a population of about 2,500...
Pearl Diver – part 2 of 3
Pearl Diver – part two of three The Insights of an Enthusiastic Whiskey Collector Welcome to this, the second article in this series about the fascinating world of whiskey collecting. In the first article, we debated the contentious topic of buying whiskey for...
An Irishman’s guide to visiting Islay
An Irishman’s guide to Islay For many it is the Mecca of whisky, a place of pilgrimage which produces smokey spirit unlike any other. Fanatics flock from far and wide to visit its rocky shores and windswept peat bogs, in the hope of imbibing their favourite...
Innovation in the category
Innovation in the category 2018 has been a busy year for the Irish whiskey industry and many exciting things have happened since my last column. The annual Whiskey Live was held in Dublin Castle showcasing many new brands and products, the new Red Spot whiskey...
Biodynamic farming
Biodynamic Farming At a time when the world is looking for sustainable, green and environmentally sound production, farming is at the very core of this movement. In fact, as we have featured before, Bord Bia is promoting sustainable attractiveness worldwide through...
Peated Irish whiskey
Peated Irish Whiskey Peated whiskey is the most exciting and under-appreciated opportunity in the Irish whiskey industry at the moment. A rather large statement, you might think, but allow me to explain why. The first peated whisky I ever tasted was the formidable...
As clear as crystal
As clear as crystal Enfant terrible or one of the new innovative standard bearers of the Irish whiskey industry? Mark Reynier’s characteristic bluntness and ability to ruffle feathers both in Scotland and now here in Ireland have set him apart from his...
The difference between Irish Whiskey, Scotch and American Whiskey
The difference between Irish Whiskey, Scotch and American Whiskey Irish whiskey is booming at the moment. Visitor numbers to distilleries are up, sales are up, and our national spirit is going from strength to strength. That’s all great news, and long may it continue....
Kieran Keane
Kieran Keane In the first of our new mini-series, we learn what it’s like to be on the other side of the bar and get an insight from the bartender’s perspective. To kick off the series we met with Kieran Keane to discuss how he got into the Irish whiskey industry and...
Cork’s patent still’s
Cork’s patent still’s THE UNTOLD STORY (PART1) You may not recognise the term “Patent Still”. This technology is far more recognisable when referred to as a Column still, Coffey still or Continuous still. Utilizing industrial revolution era technology,...
Of the land
Of the land With so much in the news of late highlighting provenance, terroir, grain prices and the introduction of new crops into the Irish whiskey fold, we spoke with Bobby Miller, head of the Irish Grain Growers group. It was fascinating to get his views, to hear...
Cask influence
Cask Influence Miren Somers explores the role cask influence plays on whiskeys flavour We’ve covered the ingredients and spirit styles, so now it’ s time to talk about my favourite part in the whiskey production process: maturation! If I could have any job in whiskey...
Mixology
Mixology For this issue’s look at Irish whiskey cocktails, we met with Richard Linden, Director of the Dublin Bar Academy. He says “We founded the Dublin Bar Academy in 2012 to give young and aspiring bartenders the training they need to step behind any bar in...
7 Sips – Sip 1
Seven Sips – Sip 1 The first of instalment of our Seven Sips series tracing the changing flavours of Irish whiskey down the centuries Mixologist Chris Hennessy, whiskey writer Fionnán O’Connor, and witch-hunting bishop Richard Ledred discuss the tastes of Irish...
Single grain whiskey
Single Grain Whiskey Having previously reviewed pot still and malt whiskeys, it seems appropriate to concentrate on grain whiskeys for this article. In Ireland, grain whiskey is usually used as an enhancing component of blends, rather than as a single product...
Tea, shrubs or old Irish whiskey?
Tea, shrubs or old Irish whiskey? The Freemans Journal “Dublin Trade Report” of October 18th, 1847, detailing the current market prices for sugar, tallow, tar, palm oil, timber, fruit, rum, rice, whiskey, tea and cocoa shells. Readers were informed that the...
Slane Distillery Visit
Slane Distillery As the completion of the much anticipated Slane Distillery draws nearer, we were kindly given the opportunity to tour the grounds and granted an interview with Co-Founder Alex Conyngham. Slane Distillery is set to open at the end of August....
Dick Mack’s
Dick Mack’s As we continue our series on great whiskey bars, Peter White chats with Finn MacDonnell and discusses the history and magic behind this this multi-award winning bar in Dingle, Co. Kerry.egal Definition of Irish Whiskey & its Misconceptions...
A tale of two cities
A Tale of Two Cities Craft Distilling in Dublin & New York We know the process well. The milled grain is mashed and then fermented over a period of days. The resulting wash is then distilled to a rarefied state, only to be barrelled up in order to...
Irish Whiskey – Myths and misconceptions
Irish Whiskey – Myths and Misconceptions Legal Definition of Irish Whiskey & its Misconceptions Irish whiskey is going through a new renaissance as consumers all over the world re-discover what the category has to offer. Thankfully the category...
A new generation of Irish whiskey mixed drinks
A New Generation of Irish Whiskey Mixed Drinks Thanks to two Belfast boys, Irish whiskey takes its rightful place in the cocktail pantheon Irish whiskey is experiencing a resurgence around the world, as more and more whiskey drinkers, learn of its unique...
Palace pride
Palace Pride As part of our series on great whiskey bars, we visit the Palace Bar in Dublin and talk to owner Willie Aherne about his pub and his love of Irish whiskey It’s a bright Thursday lunchtime as I make my way down Dublin’s Fleet Street and through the...
Clonakilty Distillery Visit
In the heart of West Cork lies the vibrant and colourful heritage town of Clonakilty, population of around five thousand. Being part of the well-renowned Wild Atlantic Way, the town is famous for its artisan food and drink, its festivals and friendly atmosphere. Its...
Beppe Durante – Italy
In Italy, it is nice to see the peoples were the only distilled spirit at home. A reaction when you mention Ireland. It is as if there is a magical connection between the two nations, a sort of thread that binds us, maybe because, in the past century, we have both...
Exclusive interview: Conor McQuaid
Arguably the most influential role in the Irish whiskey sector and one year on from being appointed CEO and Chairman at Irish Distillers (IDL), we met with Conor McQuaid in their headquarters in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Conor, can you give us a little bit about your...
Single malt Irish whiskeys
Words by Miren Somers. Last November I moved to London and due to the limited availability of Irish whiskey, I have been drinking a lot of Scotch! This is because the Irish whiskey category over here is mainly made up of three key players; Jameson, Bushmills and...
Irish wine, Irish whiskey and a little bird called Redbreast
Part 1 of 3 | Words by Eric Ryan. Strangely, for a northerly country that is quite the great banqueting hall, at Tara, and noted how damp and cloudy, a vibrant wine drinking tradition has existed in Ireland for over two millennia. A further oddity is that Irish...
Cask cocktail bar
The cocktail scene in Ireland has seen dramatic developments over the last number of years, particularly in the high-end sector. It’s no longer just Ice Teas, Margaritas and Black Russians. There is now a vast array of original cocktails and fresh takes on old...