From ancient tradition to the cutting edge of modern distilling, Ireland’s contributions to whiskey cannot be overestimated. With new distilleries springing up across the island and a greater range of styles available than ever before, this might be the most exciting whiskey scene in the world today. Get to know the different families of Irish whiskey and find your new favourite bottle. Slàinte mhath.

The first pot stills came to Ireland as early as the 12th century. We’ll never know for sure where the first Irish single malt whisky was made, but it’s fair to say that Irish distillers have been in that particular game for a very long time. While single malt is often associated with Scotland, this cornerstone of Celtic distilling has as much heritage in Cork as in Dufftown.

Early Irish distillers worked with the grains they had to hand, regularly mashing malted oats and barley together to make their uisce beatha. So when the British parliament levied a series of malt taxes in the 18th century, Ireland’s nascent whiskey industry rediscovered other grains. Irish single pot still whiskey – made with a combination of cereals – proved immensely popular: so much so that Scots distillers began making it in emulation of their Irish counterparts.

After many years of success, the 20th century saw Irish whiskey falter. Distilleries fell silent across the country and after many years championing the pot still, a consolidated industry embraced blended whisky. The column still and its light, economical grain whiskies had made Scotch whisky prosperous – now, it was to do the same for Ireland in the form of distinctly Irish blended whiskey. This was the time that iconic brands like Jameson made their mark.

For the first time in generations, Irish whiskey is experiencing a renaissance. At the end of the 20th century there were just a handful of distilleries keeping the tradition alive. Now we have more than 30 across the island of Ireland. An increasing number of whiskey makers are exploring new frontiers.