Poitín may occupy 'a special place' in people’s hearts, but it is not safe, according to the message from an article in the Irish Times newspaper from 2004.
Poitín is an Irish word and pronounced: [ˈpˠotʲiːnʲ]) potcheen, poteen or potheen. Poitín was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the term is a diminutive of the Irish word pota, meaning "pot" (anything “ín” in Irish is a smaller version of itself). The Irish word for a hangover is póit. In accordance with the International GI technical case file which lists Poitín as a protected Irish spirit under International law, Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín can only be made from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses, and potatoes. Given that 1 ton of potatoes is needed to make a paltry 1 liter of Poitín, the obvious ingredient was barley.
Since 1661, Poitín was not officially allowed to be produced anywhere, but in places that were off the beaten track, like mountains, remote villages or in cliff caves, people still distilled it. The dangerous thing about this drink though, was that you never knew what quality you would get, so there were many deaths or illnesses, such as blindness and the “3 or 7-day coma”.
More recently, the Gardaí, together with doctors tried everything to find and destroy the illegal distilleries, however, the demand for the spirit was so great, that no sooner were they shut down in one place one day than they sprang up somewhere else the next day. If someone was caught with the illegal drink, the usual excuse was that they used it to “cure” a wide range of ailments, including aches and pains. It was claimed it lubricated the joints of people suffering from rheumatism or was needed for their greyhound!

In 2008, the underground and illicit side of Poitín making ended when (GI) Geographical Indicative granted the Irish spirits companies permission to officially produce the national drink and there are now a number of commercially produced spirits labeled as poitín, poteen or potcheen.

Master Distiller - introduction to premium Irish Whiskey

This tour includes:
Draw sample of whiskey from the authentic oak cask
Watch short Irish whiskey film
Sensory perception quiz
Comparative of four of our favorite Irish whiskeys
Free crystal tasting glass

PRICE: €40

COURSE TIMES:
Duration: Approx 50 minutes

Monday - Sunday : 12.45pm and 4.45pm

Please Contact Irish Whiskey Experience.

Today Cocktails recipes recommendation comes from Dublin Liberties Distillery for Whiskey Sour. 

Oak Devil 50ml
Fresh Lemon juice 20ml
Demerara sugar syrup 10ml
Egg white

Method: Wet shake (with ice), dry shake (no ice)

Glassware: Coupe

Garnish: Dash Angostura bitters, orange island with a mint leaf

Sláinte


Today Cocktails recipes recommendation comes from Dublin Liberties Distillery for Old Fashioned with Oak Devil.

Oak Devil 50ml
Demerara sugar 10ml
Angostura 2 dash
Chocolate bitters 1 dash

Method: Stirred over ice

Glassware: Served over ice in a rocks glass

Garnish: Orange zest

Sláinte

Devils Cut consists of the following. In the previous section that discussed casks, you read about how the wood and liquor combine to release new flavors in the spirits. For example, when some of the liquid is taken out and replaced with water it pushes the alcohol into the wood of the cask leaving it the flavors of the spirit.  The less water you put in the more so the cask will have the flavors of the alcohol. Most of the times these casks will be made in a repair shop where used barrels are brought after they have served their use.  

If you're in Killarney you need to try Irish Whiskey & Artisan Chocolate. The testing they take place in Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder in centrum from Killarney and are daily at 7 pm. 
This tour includes:
Welcome whiskey sample
Sensory perception quiz
Tips on chocolate & whiskey pairing
Compare and contrast four lovely Irish whiskeys with four luxurious chocolates.
Free crystal tasting glass

DURATION: 60 MINUTES
PRICE: €30

 

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