A revolution is underway despite the turbulence history of Irish whiskey

My passion for Irish whiskey is rooted in my family and heritage. It was a conversation with my father that spurred me to start The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. where we focus on producing ultra-premium product. For us, it’s about taking the time, using alternative ageing techniques and pouring everything we have into making Irish whiskies that offer something new.

And understanding the rocky and fascinating history of Irish whiskey is also key to knowing how to make a product worthy of the tradition. Here’s a rundown of some of the key points of Irish whiskey’s heritage, from its highest point (until now) in the 19th century to a long, slow decline.

Irish whiskey is very much back to its best now, and by 2024 the sector is on track to smash previous highs with projections running to more than 12 million cases. Let’s look back on the long, turbulent road to where are now.

The early days of Irish whiskey’s history  

In the 19th century Irish whiskey was the most bought spirit in the world. And its story begins way back in 3,500 BC. We know that barley was first grown in the field systems of County Mayo in the 4th century BC, and a few thousand years late in 500 BC, the Celts invented wooden barrels.

Fast forward to sometime between 600 and 900AD and Irish monks brought the art of distillation back to Ireland from their travels in the Mediterranean. The first recorded mention of Irish whiskey is in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, dated 1405. And the first licence for a distillery in Ireland was granted to Bushmills, County Antrim in 1608.

Charles II began taxing Irish whiskey production and distillation across Britain in 1661 to help finance his restoration. This meant that every producer had to register and then pay taxes, but ensuing records are patchy. As registration was voluntary all the way up until 1761, this isn’t surprising!

How the Distilling Act changed everything

It was all change for the Irish whiskey industry in 1779 with the introduction of the Distilling Act. From then on it was illegal to work an unlicensed distillery, but the black market continued. When the Act was introduced, there were 1,228 distilleries registered in Ireland. Eleven years later this had dropped sharply to 246 and by 1821 just 32 were in operation. Reform came in 1823, making it simpler for people to own and run licensed distilleries, which bumped the numbers to 93 by 1835.

Domestic and international problems were impacting demand for Irish whiskey at home in the mid-19th century. A combination of devastating events including the Great Famine, which killed a million people destroyed the demand for whiskey in Ireland. Despite this, production increased fourfold for exports between 1823 and 1900.

Major markets for Irish whiskey were the entire Commonwealth thanks to access to the British Empire, and the Americas. This was the heyday of Irish whiskey when it became the most popular spirit in the world. The industry was dominated by ‘the big four’ producers – William and John Jameson, George Roe and John Powers.

Blended Irish whiskey and the Coffey still

Other factors that adversely impacted the traditional distillers of Irish whiskey included the introduction of cheaper, constantly running stills. Patented as Coffey stills, they allowed production to run on 24 hours a day, rather than in small batches. This compromised the quality but made whiskey cheaper and more accessible. This was also the time when blended, cheaper whiskies started to gain traction, leaving behind the traditional producers who thought Irish whiskey should remain pure.

External challenges came in the form of the Irish War of Independence, which was swiftly followed by the civil war and then a trade war with Britain. This cut off the entire Commonwealth as a market for Irish whiskey, which had a hugely negative impact.

Over in the US, the 1920s saw the advent of Prohibition, which again hit the Irish whiskey market badly. By the 1930s and 40s, Irish whiskey had given way to Scotch as the most popular spirit worldwide.

The decline and eventual resurgence of Irish whiskey

According to British historian Alfred Barnard, in 1887 there were 28 distilleries making whiskey in Ireland. By the 1960s, a very small number remained and in 1966 three of these merged to form Irish Distillers. Six years later the only remaining distillery (Bushmills) joined the conglomerate. This meant juts two distilleries were producing whiskey (New Midleton and Old Bushmills) and both were owned by Irish Distillers.

Around 12 million cases of Irish whiskey were made in 1900, but this shrank to just 400,000 in the 1970s. It wasn’t until Cooley Distillery became the first independent for decades in 1987 that the recovery began. In 1988 Pernod Ricard bought Irish Distillers and all of its associated brands and began marketing hard for Irish whiskey. Jameson became the standout brand and for a while this blended whiskey became the most recognised around the world.

Craft and independent distilleries have been opening up over the last few years, further boosting the sector. There has been an annual growth rate of between 15 and 20% year on year since the early 1990s. By June this year (2019) the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) confirmed that there are 25 operating whiskey distilleries in Ireland, with many more in the pipeline.

Sales in 2018 reached 10.7 million cases, and 2020 should see more than 12 million sold if projections hold. And by 2030 this is further projected to reach around 24 million. For now, I’m excited to see whether the Irish whiskey industry can smash the previous record set in the 1830s.

I really believe the tradition, history, passion and strength of our industry is reflected in the increasingly superior and special Irish whiskeys available. We’re adding our own twist at The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., by using techniques not used anywhere else, our focus is on ultra-premium whiskey. And we’re looking forward to the next few years!