Irish Whiskey

Depending on who you read, it can be said that the Irish actually started distilling whisky first and passed it on to the Scots and no-one is quite sure why there's an e in whisk(e)y.  For much of the 20th Century Irish whiskey was in a sorry state, with only 4 active distilleries (Cork, Jameson's and Powers, who had all formed Irish Distillers and Bushmills in the North, who joined them in 1972).  A combination of Prohibition, Depression, Irish Independence (loss of the Commonwealth market) and the growth and popularity of Scottish producers had greatly diminished Irish market share. Originally producing quite rich and full bodied whiskies,  Irish whiskey reinvented itself during the late 19th and 20th centuries as a light, smooth and easy drinking whiskey, partly due to triple distillation and the use of blended grain and malt. 

Currently Irish whiskey production is experiencing an explosion, with 29 distilleries either in the process of being built or actively distilling.  With this there is an exploration of what Irish Whiskey can offer with modern distillers exploring the richer fuller style of Ireland's past as well as the more well known style of it's bigger brands like Jameson's and Bushmills.