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IRISH WHISKEY HAS officially been given geographical status by the European Union similar to Champagne in France and Prosciutto in Italy.
The approval of ‘Geographical Indication’ (GI) by the European Commission means that Ireland’s whiskey will now be marked with a sign indicating geographical origin and a product’s unique qualities and production methods.
The submission to the EU by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) defined distinctive types of Irish whiskey which have now been given special status. These include Malt Irish Whiskey, Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Grain Irish Whiskey and Blended Irish Whiskey.
Irish cream and Irish poitín were also given geographical indication status by the EU.
Whiskey distillers in Ireland have been calling for special GI status for Irish whiskey for years. Carleen Madigan, of the IWA, described the EU’s decision as a “momentous achievement”.
The decision, she said, “ensures that the traditions and high standards of the Irish whiskey category will be protected in the EU and globally in markets with which the EU has a trade agreement.”
“As sales of Irish whiskey continue to boom globally, we have seen a trebling in the complaints to the Association regarding fake Irish whiskey around the world,” Madigan.
“The Geographic Indication provides the strongest possible protection against these infringements and gives us the basis for enforcement action against misleading products.”
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What if it’s distilled in Crumlin
@Vin: be cheaper !
Is Bushmills Irish or British?
@Mairtin Cathbhar: Whatever suits the D.U.P. To them it’ll be Irish in the U.S. and British when they’re guzzling it in Westminster.
@Mairtin Cathbhar: you would have to ask Jimmy McNulty.
@Martin Horan: according to Westminster NI citizens are British irrespective of passport. Wondering if Whiskey and People differ in terms of the geopolitical !
@Mairtin Cathbhar: all the Irish whiskey brands are Protestant and the Catholic ones are colourless, cheap and lethal.
@Mick Barnier: that maybe true but a different issue. There are Irish prods and British Catholics.
@Mick Barnier: ‘ Paddy’ is the one for me. !!
@Mairtin Cathbhar: Not to be pedantic but I believe people born in N.I. can choose to be citizens of the Republic, the U.K. or both. They, regardless of how much they wish, will never be British. Hence the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is on U.K. passports. As a side, Whiskey spelled with an E is Irish.
@Mairtin Cathbhar: If it is made on the island of Ireland then it is Irish whiskey
Does this mean that say a Whiskey named Connemara actually has to come from Connemara?
@Irish Cottage Rental: Do all sprouts have to come from Brussels?
@Irish Cottage Rental: No it means that whiskey produced in Ireland will receive a special designation. The name of the whiskey is irrelevant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_indications_and_traditional_specialities_in_the_European_Union
@Platypus Parcel: There was a very good article on here recently about the way the Scots police there own whiskey, and geographical names are vitally important in their system I believe. The article suggested our whiskey distillers are hiding where stuff is actually distilled. In my humble opinion if you are marketing something as Connemara Whiskey it should not be brewed in Dublin, (likewise if you are marketing Galtee rashers they shoukd be from around the Galtee Mts, but the Galtee sausage factory is long flattened and there’s not even a country of origin on the standard Galtee rashers).
We need to value such things properly.
@Squiddley Diddley: ps. I have no idea if there is a Connemara Whiskey or where it is brewed, that was an example
@Squiddley Diddley: *distlled not brewed
@Squiddley Diddley: thank you. The smart ass comments on this thread show just how little some people understand the importance of labels telling the truth. The Scots wouldn’t tolerate such messing and neither should we.
@Platypus Parcel: Thanks – we get the point. If a Whiskey is called Connemara then it should come from Connemara. Just like Champagne had to come from Champagne. Some Irish Whiskey producers play fast and loose with the origin of their products and that’s bad for the sector – especially when competing with the authenticity of Scotch.
@Erich Butler: you don’t seem to understand the importance of specific origin in the drinks industry. Rioja has to come from Rioja – Champagne from Champagne etc. – in Ireland we run the risk of damaging the Whiskey business with some of this makey uppy shenanigans.
@Squiddley Diddley: Connemara Whiskey was ‘distilled’ in ‘Louth’ but I get your point. Easy for someone to make this point that just because someone develops a quality product and links it through their Marketing strategy to something that connects with the consumer but not geographically produced there that it lacks credibility. It’s nonsense, Irish whiskey is Irish whiskey- respect it for the quality and value that it represents not the county in which it was distilled vs what’s on the bottle. Connemara whiskey is uniquely peat burned giving it that Smokeyness… in my opinion connects very nicely with Connemara landscape. Cooley Distillery did several brands, doesn’t mean they all should be named after famous Co Louth landmarks !
@Irish Cottage Rental: Just a thought… do you know how small the Champagne region is? There are more than one hundred Champagne houses and 19,000 smaller vignerons (vine-growing producers) in Champagne. All this on 32,000 acres of land. Sounds fishy to me.. same goes for Prosecco.
The real danger for Irish whiskey is preventing that neutral grain spirit from coming from places where it’s less costs intensive to produce… aged and bottled in Ireland… or even just bottled in Ireland. When money is at steak plenty producers will find ways to cut corners.
@Glenn O’hAilpín: agreed we need to protect it
Does this mean that all the ingredients going into irish whiskey should be Irish?
@Liam Dunne: No but since the ingredients in whiskey are malted barley and water, both of those are aplenty in Ireland.
Otherwise, the only other ingredient is yeast and you can be guaranteed that whatever yeast they are using was born in Ireland because that’s just how yeast works.
@Liam Dunne: yes Ted
@Liam Dunne: It means that by law it has to be in the cask for at least three years before bottling…
Disappointing move by the E.U. Alcoholism should never be encouraged- those dependant need help and support.
@Mike Conway: Those dependent need more whiskey
@Mike Conway: how is this encouraging alcoholism? Its like saying promoting Irish food is encouraging obesity.
@Mike Conway: horseshit
Irish whiskey matures in the cask and not in the bottle. The trick is to blend an old whiskey with a young whiskey and call it a special reserve. Yound distilleries buy old stock from other distillers to overcome the three year rule for the aging of Irish whiskey.
After Brexit wonder what happens to UK foodstuff? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_food_and_drink_products_with_protected_status
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