The Irish Whiskey Journey

In terms of the number of distilleries making it and the welcome revenue it brings in, Irish whiskey has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Irish whiskey is popular close to home, of course. Bars such as the Duke of York in Belfast, the Palace Bar in Dublin, Garavan’s in Galway, and the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder in Killarney have enviable selections of the homegrown spirit, with a dedicated clientele to match. But whiskey drinkers outside of Ireland are crucial to the category’s continued success. And in recent years, they’ve certainly proven up to the task.

When Belfast bartenders Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon were first working to open the Dead Rabbit in New York City in 2013, they visited some of the city’s best bars and restaurants for ideas and inspiration, including one (now closed) notable place in Brooklyn. “We looked at their back bar. And they had spirits from France and Italy, and all these amari and mezcals, and Scotch whiskies from all areas. But we couldn’t find a single bottle of Irish whiskey,” McGarry recalls. “They were using bourbon in their Irish coffee.” McGarry says that’s when they realized they could play an important role in elevating the spirit’s profile in America.

“Irish whiskey was much more approachable for customers with regards to price and flavor, as well as the interesting and colorful history.” —Andy Kerr

The Dead Rabbit’s opening coincided with the sudden blossoming of the Irish whiskey category. And McGarry and Muldoon weren’t alone in recognizing its potential. Bars such as the Sun Tavern in London recognized Irish whiskey’s charms, and aimed to introduce those to curious drinkers. “Before I opened The Sun Tavern 10 years ago, I noticed a big revival in the Irish whiskey scene, and wanted to create something that promoted this,” says Andy Kerr, the bar’s owner. “I found that Irish whiskey was much more approachable for customers with regards to price and flavor, as well as the interesting and colorful history.” The Sun Tavern claims to have the U.K.’s largest selection of Irish whiskey and poitín. With around 300 bottles at Dead Rabbit, McGarry thinks he can possibly make a similar claim for the U.S.

Irish whiskey increasingly offers more ways to venture outside familiar flavor realms. Delve deep enough into the category, McGarry says, and you’ll get a glimpse of the creative opportunities still being discovered among Irish distillers. “Obviously I’m incredibly biased. But I think it’s the most dynamic and diverse whiskey category, given that we have blends, single grain, single malt, and the single pot still that’s unique to Irish whiskey,” McGarry says. “Consumers have gone on that journey with us. And now you’re getting people coming into the bars and wanting to try something that’s different—something that has uniqueness to it, and that’s, for lack of a better word, authentic.”

Irish whiskey features in drinks like an Irish Coffee (left) and a Twilight Zone (right) at The Dead Rabbit in New York City. | Photos by Nicholas Lee Ruiz

The post The Irish Whiskey Journey appeared first on Imbibe Magazine.