Rebels of whiskey impart ‘Grains of Wisdom’ in series episode
THE refined taste of Irish whiskey is renowned around the world, made as it is from good Irish grain, pure flowing water, air, time and sometimes, the smoky taste of peat.
Back in the early 1970s, sipping a jar of whiskey would have come from just 100,000 cases, all that a tight conglomerate of producers at the time would allow on the open market, the rest barred from producing their own exports or even coming near to developing a new distillation.
Powerscourt Marketing Manager Caroline Gardiner hosted the webinar with renowned whiskey experts John Teeling (clockwise from right), Willie McArthur and Noel Sweeney
When a few of the best minds in whiskey production got together though, and in a place renowned for its political, cultural and literary influences the refined flavour of Irish whiskey was on its way. At the Powerscourt Distillery ‘Grains of Wisdom’ webinar earlier this month, attendees from around the world got a taste of what those early days were like for three Irish whiskey pioneers.
The renowned Plough and Stars Pub was at the centre of a 20th century whiskey rebellion that led to the globalisation of the Irish brand
“You have to remember that exports to the USA at that time were only 100,000 cases and today there are several million cases being exported,” said Willie McArthur, who joined the revolution begun with John Teeling and later, Noel Sweeney at the renowned Plough and Stars in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. “A lot of that is down to the work of John (Teeling) aided by myself and Noel Sweeney and quite a few others.”
From those heady times when breaking the whiskey export stranglehold of the few was begun in a corner bar, located in the birthplace of the American Revolution, the trio went on to develop their own distillations, whiskeys known to millions the world over as Connemara, Tyrconnell, Kilbeggan and Greenore.
The four Irish whiskeys that grew out of the 20th century rebellion, Connemara (l-r), Tyrconnell, Kilbeggan and Greenore
“In the early years it was getting the spirit and getting it into barrels and keeping track of it,” said Powerscourt’s Master Distiller Noel Sweeney. “It was very difficult at that time to get any kind of input other than from our friends in Scotland. That is where we started off and it took a few years. We relied on the Scotch industry to get barrels.”
Added the evening webinar’s host, Powerscourt Distillery Marketing Manager Caroline Gardiner, “There were so many examples of innovation during this time. It was ‘needs must’, trying a lot of new things.”
Irish whiskey webinars continue with Powerscourt Distillery in Wicklow, Ireland. Join in the weekly webinars with the Fercullen Whiskey brand on Facebook.
