Great Irish Beverages have teamed up with seven single pot still Irish whiskey brands to give the spirit a week of celebration, with special pairings, cocktails and tastings.
Once the most popular style of whiskey in the world, single pot still Irish whiskey is made with a mix of malted and un-malted barley, in a copper pot still. Unique to the island of Ireland, this liquor represents how Irish whiskey was first made and enjoyed, before it was nearly lost to the ravages of war and Prohibition in the 20th century.
The interest is definitely back for this style of whiskey, as Irish whiskey in general continues to be the fastest-growing spirit in the world.
In an effort to honour the spicy, rich and robust drink and its legacy, Great Irish Beverages have teamed up with their favourite single pot still brands to launch 'Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey Week', a festival running from November 9th to 16th. Whether served alongside a beer, paired with food, mixed into a cocktail or simply neat, the event will highlight all the fantastic ways to enjoy single pot still Irish whiskeys. Any venue across the Republic of Ireland is welcome to take part by selecting an Irish pot still brand to work with and serve to best represent the venue.
The Line-Up
The lineup includes Electric in Cork, which will offer a sweet food pairing, with Green Spot Single Pot Still, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still 12 Year Old and Red Spot Single Pot 15 Year Old served with a chocolate truffle, homemade orange delight and salted caramel.
Sonny Molloy's in Galway will be serving is Redbreast 12 Year Old with Galway Red Ale, a beer made exclusively for them, while 1661 Bar in Dublin has created the ‘Bow St Cocktail’, combining quince-infused Powers John's Lane, Lillet blanc and Irish apple ice wine.
When the festival starts, the public can vote for their favourite venue by using the hashtag #PotStillHero, with the winner getting a €1,000 prize. Another €1,000 will be given to the registered charity of their choice.
Great Irish Beverages
With this event, Great Irish Beverages director and FOOD AND WINE contributor, Oisin Davis wants to address the lack of awareness around the remarkable Irish spirit. "Pot Still Irish whiskeys are now geographically protected and finally back to being revered around the world. This is great for Ireland. Pot Still whiskey could be what wines are for Burgundy or what malt whiskies are for Scotland", he says.
“We now have whiskey bars that also have fantastic food, beer collections, and cocktail menus. By showcasing these same venues through The Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey Week, it allows the public to broaden their spectrum of enjoyment of the whiskeys and learn more about what was for a long time, the most popular and celebrated whiskey in the world."
In addition to the venue campaign, there will also be festival tastings and events taking place around the country. For more details and to register, visit greatirishbeverages.com.
