A Short History of Irish Poitín

Document Type

Other

Disciplines

Drinks Studies, 6.2 CULINARY ARTS, History, 5.9 OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES

Publication Details

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/0620/1390119-irish-poitin-poteen-monks-king-henry-viii-revenue-commissioners-mountain-dew/

RTE Brainstorm, updated / Tuesday, 20 Jun 2023 12:30.

Abstract

Ask most people from Ireland (especially Donegal, Mayo or Galway) about poitín and you will be told that it is illegal, or you'll be given a knowing nod and a wink and then told a story about a mysterious farmer who makes it. Poitín is surround by myths and folklore, but many people don’t know that this clear spirit can be legally produced under licence. Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín is one of three Irish drinks that has been awarded geographical Indicator status by the European Commission alongside Irish whiskey and Irish cream liqueur.

Since it has geographical Indicator approval, Irish Poitín must comply with specific guidelines. According to technical file, "Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín" distillate is a clean, clear spirit that is light, smooth and robust in character. It retains the flavours and aromas from the original raw materials used and the production process. This can include raw cereal, cooked grain, fruity esters and spice. Modern day "Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín" has a minimum of 40% alcoholic strength by volume, with some products as high as 90%.

Funder

This research received no external funding

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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