If whisky makes you think of Scotland, you're not alone. But Ireland has a rich history of distilling and produces world class drams, as our selection of the best Irish whiskey options below shows.
As a quick history lesson, Ireland was the first place in the British Isles to distil, and Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world. And, fun fact, the word 'whiskey' (let’s not get into the whisky without an ‘e’ debate here) comes from ‘uisce beatha’, meaning ‘water of life’ in Gaelic.
Following a huge decline in the late 19th century to just three distilleries, Irish whiskey has been gaining huge popularity recently. At the time of writing, it's the fastest growing spirit in the world, well-known for its smooth and creamy taste, which is typically due to it being triple distilled.
This rise isn’t just due to big names like Jameson and Bushmills, although they deserve a lot of credit for turning everyone's taste buds onto the beauty of the spirit. There's plenty of choice now, whether you’re wanting something special or to sip on a regular basis.
Best Irish whiskey
One to Try: Shanky's Whip
We can't add this one to the list proper as it is a whiskey liquor but Shanky's Whip is certainly worth a taste. The drink takes the burn that's associated with drinking whiskey out of the drink and replaces it with a creamy finish. This means that you still get the whiskey hit but with an addition of vanilla notes. This isn't one to have on its own, but with some cola - or even mixed into some stout. It's a great drink, but not one for the Irish Whiskey purists.
Buy Shanky's Whip now from Amazon for £22.
- Get more recommendations in our best whisky shortlist, which also includes Scottish whisky and bourbon.
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