The word “whiskey” comes from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning “water of life.” So you can see, we’ve always cast an earnest eye on the matter.
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A.D. 600-900
Irish monks return from continental Europe with distillation equipment for creating medicines. Ever resourceful, they discover other uses for it.
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1405
In the Annals of Clonmacnoise, the earliest written Irish record of whiskey attributes the demise of a chieftain to “taking a surfeit of aqua vitae (uisce beatha)” at Christmas. Death by water of life: also the earliest known example of Irish irony.
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1608
King James I awards the first license to the Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim. Poitín-makers are unimpressed and carry on.
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1700s
First celebrity endorsements: Sir Walter Raleigh, Elizabeth I, and Peter the Great all declare their love of uisce beatha. Peter goes as far as to say, “Of all wines, Irish wine is best.” In our book, that’s good enough to be Great, Peter.
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1770s
There are by now some 1,200 distilleries on the island of Ireland. Most have no license because that would mean paying duties to you-know-who . . .
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1785
You-know-who impose taxes on malted barley. In response to this brazen move by the English, the Irish begin to distill using malted and unmalted barley—and invent pot still whiskey. So there.
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1830
Former taxman Aeneas Coffey invents a still that enables continuous distillation. Irish distillers say, “No thanks. See if the Scots lads want it.”
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1838
Uh-oh. A national temperance movement is launched. Within five years over half the population has taken The Pledge and given up alcohol. Domestic demand collapses and many distilleries close.
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1850s
Aeneas Coffey’s invention is doing well with Scottish distillers. Too well.
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1879
The four big Dublin distillers (John Jameson, William Jameson, John Powers, and George Roe) publish a rousing pamphlet, Truths about Whisky, which calls for the banning of “silent spirit”—grain whiskey produced by the Coffey still. Bewilderingly, the pamphlet fails to change the world.
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1890
Phylloxera wipes out pot still’s chief competitor, French brandy. Irish distilleries shrug nonchalantly,
say “zut alors,” and increase output.
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1900s
Scottish distilleries see continued growth in blended whisky. The Scottish Distillers Company Limited conglomerate opens its own Irish distillery in Dublin. What nerve, we think. But it’s successful, so that’s OK.
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1909
In defining “whiskey,” a Royal Commission approves Scottish-style distilling of silent spirit. It’s a huge blow to the Irish industry, which is driven to considering publishing another rousing pamphlet.
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1916-1930
Scottish Coffey stills create a surplus and prices collapse. The Irish War of Independence disrupts production and closes off access to key Commonwealth markets such as Canada. In the United States, Prohibition comes into effect in 1920. The party is over.
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1933
The end of Prohibition releases pent-up U.S. demand that the now-devastated Irish industry is unable to meet. But the canny Scots can. Grrr.
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1943
Bartender Joe Sheridan improvises a new drink at Foynes, the precursor to Shannon Airport. His Irish Coffee effectively ensures that the ailing Irish whiskey industry still has a pulse.
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1945
American soldiers return home from the United Kingdom after World War II with a newly acquired taste for Scotch. This further drives up U.S. demand.
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1950s-1960s
Scotch flourishes in the United States and becomes a misspelled byword for proper whiskey.
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1966
The remaining Irish distillers merge to form Irish Distillers Limited (IDL) and declare “Step aside, kilt-wearers—whiskey coming through!”
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1975
IDL takes a gamble and opens a new state-of-the art distillery in Midleton, County Cork. It’s the last throw of the dice. IDL’s luck is in.
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1987
John Teeling converts an old state industrial plant into the Cooley Distillery—effectively ending IDL’s monopoly of Irish whiskey production.
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1990–2000
Demand returns for all traditional styles of Irish whiskey—pot still, single malt, blended, and single grain. With great magnanimity, we forgive Scotland.
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2000–present
For the past twenty years, Irish whiskey has been the fastest-growing spirit in the world. At home, new distilleries are opening—twenty-five to date plus another ten at planning stage. Brands are being launched and old ones revived. We rediscover a taste for innovation with mashbills, distilling techniques, cask maturation, and finishing. Once more, things are looking lively for the water of life.