Tasting: Irish Whiskey: New kids on the block with Allan Dwyer, President and Sean McKay with Irish breakfast (2/4/2023)

Join us on this Saturday, February 4th, 11.30 to 1.00 pm at Norfolk Wine & Spirits, for an in-store whiskey tasting with special guests Allan Dwyer, President Irish Whiskey Society and Sean McKay, Director of the Irish American Trading Company.

It is believed that Irish monks brought the technique of distilling perfumes back to Ireland from their travels to southern Europe around 1000 AD. The earliest recorded incident of whiskey in Ireland is from 1405, though this whiskey likely differed from what we now know as whiskey. This spirit was probably unaged and flavored with herbs and adjuncts to make it palatable as was the case in most distilled spirits in the earlier days.

Ireland is the home of whiskey. Ireland been making it longer than other whiskey producing nation. This longevity has influenced the craft of whiskey making in Ireland, in turn contributing to the depth and diversity of the Irish whiskey category. But this long history has been a checkered one. The number of operational Irish whiskey distilleries peaked at about 88 in the second half of the 1800’s and the general decline began before 1900 and continued into the new century.

At one point there were only two Irish Whiskey producers Middleton and Bushmills. Thankfully now we are in the midst of a resurgence for Irish Whiskey and there are close to 40 Distilleries in various stages of operations.

We will explore these “New Kids on the Block” with various expressions from the following distilleries.

Clonakilty
Drumshambo
Hinch
Irish-American
Silky
Waterford
West Cork

Irish Breakfast featuring:
Scrambled eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Hash Browns, Beans, Baked Tomatoes