Irish Whiskey History Flashcards
What were the main reasons for the collapse of the global market for Irish Whiskey in the first half of 20th century?
1) the struggle for Irish Independence starting with civil war in 1916 and ending with Republic of Ireland in 1948 caused an Anglo - Irish Trade War in 1930s which devastated Irish Whiskey throughout the British Commonwealth.
2) American Prohibition took away Ireland’s largest non-Commonwealth export market and during prohibition where the Irish refused to play ball with bootleggers and the Scotch did a better job of smuggling blended whiskey into the US.
3) Rise of blended whisky in Scotland
4) World War I
5) The Great Depression
When Cooley opened in 1989, how many distilleries were there in Ireland?
4
Cooley - newly opened and independently owned
Midleton - Owned by Irish Distillers (built in 1975)
Bushmills (NI) owned by Irish Distillers since 1977
Kilbeggan - Owned by Irish Distillers
What happened during the “Truths About Whisky” debate in 1878?
Dublin’s four main distilleries argued that real whisky was “distilled either from Malt or a mixture of malt and unmalted corn, from barley or oats, or malt, or from a mixture of them in a pot still.”
Grain whisky on the other hand was “plastic in the hands of a compounder”
By the 1970s what were the only single pot still whiskies left in Ireland?
Red Breast
and Green Spot
What did the 2014 technical file define as single pot still whiskey?
minimum of 30% malt
minimum of 30% unmalted barley
MAXIMUM of 5% other grains
What was proposed in 2021 in relation to the official definition of single pot still whiskey?
Proposed to allow up to 30% of other grains - the most common recipe used in the 19th and early 20th century. As of the writing of Dave Broom’s book, this proposal had not yet been ruled upon.
When was Bushmills said to have been founded? As is that really true? Why?
1608, but that was actually the date that James I issued patents (monopolies) for distillation to four of his cronies, including Sir Peter Phillips of Antrim.
When were the distillation patents in Ireland removed in favor of distillation coming under excise control?
1666
What two Irish distilleries were established in 1757
Kilbeggan (Matthias McManus) and Dublin (Peter Roe)
What were the early signs of the “new beginning” in Irish whiskey?
In 1989 John Teeling bought Cooley
In 2010 Dingle Distillery opened (first new opening) signaling the Irish revival
Although there were mixed mash bill whiskies in Ireland before 1785, what is the common reason stated for the rise of Single Pot Still whiskies in Ireland?
The Malt Tax of 1785 taxed the amount of Malt, not barley - so Irish saw a way to pay less tax using a % of unmalted barley (and other grains)
Who was the excise officer tasked with getting control of illicit distillation in the north of Ireland in the late 18th century?
Aeneas Coffee, he also approved the founding of Bushmills legal distillery in 1784.
What happened to Comber, Connswater and Royal Irish distilleries in 1902?
They merged to form United Distillers Ltd (IDL), then during a downturn they all sold to Scottish DCL - which shut them all down in 1922.
Because Bushmills and Coleraine didn’t make grain whiskies - they never came under DCLs control. They survived and merged in 1953.
What historic Northern Irish distillery merged with Bushmills in 1953?
Coleraine - who also made Single Malt Whiskey
Who were the “Big Four” in Dublin Whisky Distilling circa 1900
John Jameson (Jameson)
William Jameson (Mareboe Lane)
George Roe (Thomas Road)
John Power (John’s Lane)
When did the Irish War of Independence begin?
-1916 Easter Rising
-1919-1921 War of Independence
-1922-1923 Bloody Civil War
-Irish Free State Founded in 1923, 6 Ulster Counties remained part of United Kingdom
How many Irish Distilleries did DCL buy and close in the 1920’s
-A total of 7 including all of Ireland’s grain distilleries
Dublin Distillers Limited
-George Roe and William Jameson joined forces with Jones Road in 1891
Cork Distillers Limited
-1867
-Five companies in Cork
Who tried to make a deal with both Jameson’s and Power’s with a speculative “post prohibition” order for whiskey.
-Joe Kennedy
-they both declined
What were the last distilleries in the Ireland that formed United Distillers of Ireland (UDI) in March of 1966?
John Jameson (Dublin)
John Power (Dublin)
Cork Distilleries (Cork)
Who convinced Jamesons, Powers, and Cork to close their individual distilleries and build one modern one?
-Kevin McCourt, the director general of UDI
When was the modern Midleton built?
-1975
-Brought together production of Jameson, Powers and Cork Distilleries
Who actually bought Bushmills 1972?
-Seagrams
-Bushmills refused to sell to Irish Distillers
-Seagram’s then “exchanged” Busmills for 15% of Irish Distillers
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