Donal Fallon: Why Donald Trump may be a bigger threat to Irish whiskey than a teetotalling 19th-century priest
Irish whiskey is no stranger to economic turbulence through its history, but recent months have been difficult by any standard. Once the epicentre of Irish distilling, the Liberties area of the capital had witnessed an extraordinary revival in recent years, though the doors of some of these new arrivals have closed, either temporarily or permanently.
At the Dublin Liberties Distillery both production and tours have ceased, as the parent company 'assesses market conditions'. More surprising, the powerhouse that is Diageo has ceased production at Roe and Co, housed in a former Guinness building and within sight of the original distillery. Diageo's international portfolio includes names such as Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Bulleit Bourbon, but Roe and Co is its only Irish-based distillery.
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