If you’re Irish (or even if you’re not) everyone knows that St. Patrick’s Day is the Holy Grail of Irish holidays. To really get into the spirit you need to keep a few things in mind:

• Wear green (although certainly cute, green underwear doesn’t really count)
• Start your day with a bright green bagel (you can go carb-free the rest of the week)
• Enjoy your favorite Irish foods—whether it be corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread or a big pot of boiled potatoes—some hearty Irish fare is just what’s called for on March 17th
• Sip your favorite beer, with a side of green. Don’t fear the dye, it’s the only day all year that it’s acceptable to drink emerald suds
• Toast to Ireland with your favorite Irish Whiskey. Beautiful, amber colored liquid gold in your glass. Smooth, aromatic, with an ultra long silky finish.

First, A Little Background on Irish Whiskey:

After years of lackluster sales, Irish whiskey is experiencing a real renaissance. With Jameson leading the way, exports of Ireland’s native spirit have surged 200% over the last 10 years. New distilleries are cropping up all over the Irish landscape — new brands launched, new societies formed, new books published, and new specialty bars opening, as the world takes a renewed interest in Ireland’s native spirit.

All this from a low point in the 1970s and 1980s, when the Irish whiskey industry was a barren landscape, with only two distilleries operating on the island: The New Midleton Distillery and the Old Bushmills Distillery.  With bad luck, bad planning, American prohibition and independence from Britain all conspiring to close distillery after distillery, it was a far cry from the peak of Irish whiskey’s popularity in the Victorian era. During Victorian times, Irish whiskey was the drink of choice of the British Empire and beyond and the spirit flowed out of the country’s cities and towns on an industrial scale. 

Now, Irish whiskey is once again on an upward curve, producing whiskey of real quality, versatility and consistency. With more and more producers and bottlers coming on board, the sector is set for a new golden age.

Ready for more good news? All this resurgence means that our stores are stocked with more Irish whiskey brands than ever — each one exhibiting the extraordinary versatility and consistent high quality of this remarkable spirit. We have something for the connoisseur who likes characterful pot still and single malt whiskey and something for those who prefer to mix it up with cocktails.