Dublin, Ireland - 3 of 5 The PROCESS

Dublin is no stranger to the craft of whiskey making. Irish whiskey was once the most popular whiskey in the world. During the 19th Century the golden era for Irish whiskey, this was the drink of choice worldwide. The historic Golden Whiskey Triangle District is where more than 37 successful distilleries were once located.

What happened? The Dublin whiskey fire of 1875 killed 13 people (who drank to death in the streets from the loose whiskey that poured out more than 6” deep) and $6 million euros lost in 7,000 barrels stored when one distillery went up in flamed. Also, Irish whiskey makers were not interested in mass production and use of technology (like the Scottish) but rather small batches the way they always made whiskey. Then in the 20th century, all of the remaining Dublin distilleries closed due to prohibition (1920-33 ) in the US not allowing in Irish whiskey. In 1976 the last distillery closed as most of the technology driven production was in Scotland and the US.

We watched and learned about the unique Teeling production process step by step. For Teeling, this is more than a beginning, this is a revival. Although they are only 10 years old seemingly like a Phoenix rise from the ashes, we found whiskeys there that have been aged 30+ years since the family that has been in the business since 1782 maintained their whiskey expertise and storage of some of their best whiskey. Irish Whiskey is a mash of cereal grains, fermented, distilled and matured for a minimum of three years and 1 day (since Scottish whiskey is only 3 years) inside wood casks on the Island of Ireland.Read more