4 days ago
The rise of poitín: Ireland's notorious spirit goes mainstream
We've all heard stories about the infamous poitín makers in remote pockets of Ireland. They usually involve someone's uncle's mate's cousin, a clandestine meeting in the dead of night and possibly a bag of turf, followed by an evening of shenanigans fit for a Christy Moore tune.
Stories like this have led to an almost mythical status for a drink that is, at its core, an Irish take on clear, unaged spirit, not a million miles from vodka - although definitely not the same.
This status was definitely helped by the fact that poitín production and sale was illegal between the years of 1661 and 1997 (with a slight loosening of the laws in the 1980s, but only for export), but since it was legalised, these stories have been a bit of a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, the very mention of poitín invokes a kind of mysterious and shadowy world that is undeniably cool and appeals to the Irish love of outlaws and rule-benders. On the other, a reputation for being a dangerous drink that can lead to all sorts of unpleasantness has perhaps made it a little difficult to market effectively.
Reputation aside, the last decade or so has seen a resurgence of sorts for whiskey's wayward younger sibling, with distillers putting their own spin on this misunderstood liquor, and premium poitíns coming out of producers like Mad March Hare, Blackwater, Micil and Fore Distillery.
In fact, all four of these will have a presence at this year's Bloom Festival, which is a sure sign that mainstream is just about ready to embrace poitín.
In addition, long-time poitín advocate Oisín Davis will be hosting poitín parties at Ballymaloe Food Festival and Beyond The Pale later this year, after successful events in Galway, Dublin and New York over the last few months.
So it's a drink on the rise, but… How do you drink it?
Well, it is, of course, perfectly reasonable to sip a decent poitín on its own, but if you fancy getting a bit more adventurous with it, mixologists across Ireland have been experimenting and refining all manner of delicious serves using poitín as a base. Notable examples include the fantastic Belfast Coffee, from Dublin's Bar 1661, which uses Bán Poitín, and Cask Cork's Little Pot, which uses Mad March Hare.
Here are a couple of delicious poitín cocktails that you can make at home, courtesy of Oisín Davis' Irish Kitchen Cocktails, which is a must-have book for any serious home bartender.
Frozen Poitín Piña Colada
Even if you're not mad about getting caught in the rain, these frozen piña coladas, which use poitín instead of the traditional rum, will bring a hint of sunshine to your BBQ, cocktail party or quiet Friday night in.
Ingredients:
Method:
Pour the pineapple juice, poitín, coconut cream and lime juice into a blender (NutriBullet works nicely). Blitz for 10 seconds to combine, then drop in the ice. Blitz for another 3-5 seconds until the ice is no longer chunky and it's the consistency of a slushie.
Pour into a glass, serve with a straw and garnish with pineapple.
Serves 1
The house cocktail at Bar 1661 - if you haven't tried one there, you really, really should. You can buy it pre-mixed from their website, but if you fancy having a crack at it yourself this chilled spin on the Irish coffee is an absolute treat.
Ideally, you'd use a Georgian Irish coffee glass for this, but a small wine glass will work as well. Chill the glass with ice.
For the demerara sugar syrup, take 2 parts sugar to 1 part boiling water, mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. You can make a batch of this ahead of time and it'll keep in the fridge for a week.
Combine the coffee, sugar syrup and poitín into a jug or a jar of ice cubes and stir for about 20 seconds. Strain the coffee mixture into the glass, making sure not to get any of the ice cubes in there.
Carefully pour the cream into the glass, using the back of a spoon to help it settle on top of the coffee, and then grate a little nutmeg on top.
Serves 1
