Build a Bar Workshop, Part 2

This is the second installment of our Build a Bar Workshop. This series is educational in purpose, with the goal of helping you understand and appreciate the different products that we carry at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. We know that some categories can be mysterious, but we think the information will demystify things for you.

One quick side note before we get into today's topic. Both of our stores are closed all day today/tonight, for inventory. We will re-open at our normal time, 9am tomorrow.

Today's topic is Irish whiskey. If all you know about Irish whiskey is Jameson, you have plenty of company. Jameson remains the world’s only Irish whiskey selling more than 1m cases annually, and retains its position as the 4th best-selling world whisky brand. Edging towards the 5m case mark, the brand, owned by Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers subsidiary, grew 6% in 2014. Adding 1.7m cases since 2010, Jameson has witnessed one of the fastest rates of growth across the entire world whisky category over the past five years.

Irish Whiskey has been distilled in Ireland since the 6th century. At its height in the mid-19th century, 88 licensed distilleries made Irish Whiskey the largest global spirits category of the time. However, by the mid-1980's, only two Irish whiskey distilleries remained, both owned by Irish Distillers.

By 2013, there were four distilleries in Ireland in operation producing and selling Irish Whiskey:

Cooley Distillery (est 1987)
Kilbeggan Distillery (est 1757, re-commissioned 2007)
New Midleton Distillery (est 1975)
Old Bushmills Distillery (est 1784)

In addition, there are more than a dozen distilleries in the planning stages, marking the beginning of an Irish whiskey renaissance.

There are an assortment of styles within the Irish Whiskey category.

Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, which is then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Pot Still Irish Whiskeys are characterized by full, complex flavors and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel. These are whiskeys originating from a single distillery. Redbreast and Green Spot fall into this category.

Irish Single Malt Whiskey. The laws that govern the production of Irish whiskey are almost exactly the same as those used to make

Scotch whisky, so there are many similarities between the two. Irish Single Malt whiskey is aged in oak for at least three years, and must be distilled from a mash of nothing other than malted barley at a single distillery. We carry the Connemara Peated and Tyrconnell brands. Like their cousins in Scotland, Irish Single Malts can age gracefully before bottling.

Irish Blended Whiskey. Irish Blended Whiskeys offer tremendous value, and are among the country's most popular exports. Brands such as Bushmills and Jameson can be found across the world. Blended whiskeys in Ireland can be made by blending malt whiskey and grain whiskey, but also by blending single pot still Irish whiskey with either of the other two styles, or any possible combination of the three! Other brands to look for here are Paddy (made, unusually, with the three main styles of Irish whiskey: single pot still, single malt and grain), Teeling, Tullamore D.E.W.,

Similar to how bourbon is often bottled, Irish Single Cask Whiskey comes exclusively from one cask per bottle. Because whiskey barrels infuse the liquid with different characteristics based on where the barrel is stored, the temperature range as it ages, how long it's aged and the source of the wood, there are likely to be subtle differences between bottlings.

Irish Cask Strength Whiskey. These are bottled at the natural strength at which they leave the cask, uncut, with an ABV around 60%.

Irish Single Grain Whiskey. Whisk(e)y can be made from many different grains. Corn, rye, barley and wheat are typically found in whiskey. As the name suggests, this type of whiskey is distilled from only one grain. For example, Greenore Single Grain Irish Whisky is distilled predominantly from corn, producing a distinct sweetness.

As a general rule, Irish whiskey is lighter and sweeter than similar products. For someone interested in whiskey, this may be the best place to start. Some distillers are experimenting with different casks for finishing the whiskey (a year or so in an ex-Port barrel will impart additional flavors and nuances, for example), and many Single Malts are available with 12 year (or older) age statements, so there's something for everyone in this whiskey category. Feel free to browse our shelves, or ask one of our team members for their suggestions.

H/T Irish Whiskey Association, Irish Whiskey Awards, Master of Malt.