Chef – February 2018

The global growth for whisky sales is particu-

larly strong in the United States. The Scottish

Whisky industry sells 90 million cases a year

globally, accounting for 60% of the global

whisky market (in value terms £3.5 billion).

The re-emerging whiskey industry in Ireland

is slowly evolving; with Irish whiskey sales

growing globally albeit from a low base. In the

first six months of 2017 Irish whiskey exports to

the US and Canada rose in value by 22% and

31% respectively. Overall whiskey exports rose

by 18.5%. The goal is to reach 12 million cases

by 2020 and 24 million cases by 2030. In total

8.7 million 9-litre cases of Irish whiskey were

sold in 2016. Irish whiskey exports were worth

€505 million in 2016, accounting for more than

one third of the value of all Irish drink exports.

Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing category

among Irish agri-food and drink exports.

Traditionally in Scotland, Whisky is spelt

without the “e” in Ireland the “e” matters.

During the 19th century when the phylloxera

outbreak devastated the vineyards of Cognac,

affecting the production of French brandy, Irish

whiskey outsold it’s Scottish counterpart. This

was because the Irish used unmalted barley

exclusively, which made for a lighter style of

whiskey which the customer preferred. At this

time, both Irish and Scotch whiskey became

the drink of choice among the monied classes

especially as an aperitif. At its peak during the

18th century Ireland had more than 160 distill-

eries producing over 400 whiskey brands.

The subsequent move by the Scotch whisky

producers in the 20th century to blend their

spirits became a major factors in the decline of

Irish whiskey sales internationally as the whiskey

drinker grew to prefer the blended Scottish style,

so much so that by the 1960’s the market for Irish

Whiskey had all but collapsed and 400 brands

turned into just three, John Jameson & Son, John

Power & Son, and Cork Distillers. In 1966, these

remaining distilleries formed the Irish Distillers

Group, and 22 years later Irish Distillers was

bought by Group Pernod Ricard who focussed on

developing the Jameson brand for the American

market.

In 1996, one million cases of Jameson were being

sold worldwide, by 2012, that had increased to

four million cases. Irish whiskey has only really

emerged again since 1996 mostly due to the

global marketing efforts of Group Pernod Ricard.

In 2013, there were four distilleries in Ireland in

operation producing and selling Irish Whiskey:

Cooley Distillery (est 1987), Kilbeggan Distillery

(est 1757, re-commissioned 2007) , the new

Midleton Distillery (est 1975) and the Old Bush-

mills Distillery (est 1784)

Today in Ireland the whiskey revival continues,

there are now 18 operational distilleries, with

a further 16 in the pipeline (see map). Many of

these craft Irish whiskey brands are actually

owned by larger, non-Irish conglomerates,

Cooley, is now owned by Beam Suntory. Another

recently opened craft distillery, Slane Castle

whiskey, is a joint project with American whiskey

giant Brown Forman, the company who own Jack

Daniel’s and Tullamore D.E.W is owned by William

Grant & Sons Distillers.

In Dublin City centre, near to the Guinness

storehouse, the most recent whiskey distillery to

open its doors is Pearse Lyons Distillery situated

in a de-consecrated church with stills where the

altar used to be. Nearby is the Teeling opera-

tion, which opened in March 2015 the first new

distillery in Dublin in over 125 years.

Down

Antrim

Derry

Carlow

Armagh

Tyrone

Fermanagh

West Cork Distillers, Cork

Tipperary Boutique Distillery, Tipperary

Dúchas Distillery, Cork

Clonality Whiskey Company, Cork

Irish Distillers, Cork

EXISTING NEW PLANNED DISTILLERIES

Blackwater Distillery, Waterford

Gortinore Distillery, Waterford

Kilmacthomas Whiskey Distillery, Waterford

Renegade Spirits, Waterford

Kilkenny Whiskey Company, Kilkenny

Walsh Whiskey Distillery, Carlow

Alltech Distillery, Dublin

Dublin Whiskey Company, Dublin

Teeling Whiskey Company, Dublin

Dublin Whiskey Distillery, Dublin

Slane Castle Distillery, Meath

Cooley Distillery, Louth

Great Northern Distillery, Louth

Boann Distillery, Drogheda

Echlinville Distillery, Down

Rademon Estate Distillery, Down

Belfast Distillery Company, Antrim

Bushmills Distillery, Antrim

Niche Drinks Company, Derry

Sliabh Liag Distillery, Donegal

Lough Gill Distillery, Sligo

Nephin Irish Whiskey, Mayo

The Connacht Whiskey Company, Mayo

The Shed Distillery, Leitrim

Irish Fiddler Whiskey, Galway

Kilbeggan Distillery, West Meath

Tullamore Dew, Offaly

Chapel Gate Irish Whiskey Co, Clare

Burren Irish Whiskey, Clare

Dingle Distillery, Kerry

Glendalough Distillery, Wicklow

46 front of house: BY JeaN sMulleN

the secret oF distillation was Brought to ireland circa 500 ad By irish

missionary monks who called the Fermented liquid uisce Beatha or

water oF liFe. a concise deFinition oF whiskey can Be summarised simPly,

a white sPirit, aged in an oak Barrel until its colour turns Brown. in

1608, sir thomas PhilliPs, dePuty in ulster For king James granted the

First ever licence to distil to old Bushmills in co antrim, hence the

Fact that Bushmills is the oldest licensed distillery in the world.