the original irish spirit
St. Kevin s kitchen overshadowed by Camaderry mountain, the north wall of the valley
What is poitín? Poitín {potcheen}, is the first drink ever distilled, with earliest records dating back to approx 584ad. Irish whiskey is a direct descendant. In fact all whiskey and all distilled drinks can be traced back to poitín making in Ireland 14 centuries ago. It was first made with expertise and reverence in monasteries like Glendalough by Irish monks who were the master distillers of their time. Poitín making thrived all over Ireland for the next thousand years. Kings sent envoys the length of the known world to bring back this famed uisce beatha (water of life). After distilling knowledge went beyond monasteries, making poitín gave poor and oppressed Irish communities a small mark of independence over wealthy landlords and the British crown. It was outlawed on Christmas day in 1661 by King Charles II, in attempt to stamp out an industry that wouldn t give him any tax, an attempt most distillers paid no attention to. Rebellious Irish distillers disappeared into the wilderness and continued to hone their craft regardless. Quality was such that it still outsold Irish Whiskey well into the 1800 s. It was now a clandestine craft, hidden in remote glens where the winds swept through, breaking up the smoke of the peat fire. Poitín had by now seeped into all areas of Irish culture, from our legends and folklore, to our music and songs. Any Irishman worth his salt had a bottle somewhere, to cure ills (used on anything from rubbing muscle aches to curing sick calves), celebrate occasions and generally grease the wheels. The Church, the British crown, the Irish state and various temperance movements all attempted to stamp out poitín distilling to no avail. The law pursued distillers right up until 1997 when it was legalised. Glendalough heralds a renaissance in the ancient art of distilling poitín and aims to bring it back towards its rightful place as an expertly crafted spirit with a long shadow and unique history. The first drink ever distilled over fourteen centuries. Illegal for over 300 years but is now back to claim its rightful place.
The rebirth of Independent and Innovative Distilling in Ireland The Glendalough Distillery We have set up our small artisan distillery just south of Dublin, in the mountains on the road to Glendalough. A group of friends, local guys from Wicklow and Dublin with a deep passion for reviving the heritage of craft distilling in Ireland. In the 18th & 19th centuries there were over 2000 licenced distilleries in Ireland (and countless unlicensed distilleries) producing diverse styles of poitín, whiskey, gin, and even absinthe. Recently that number dropped to a small handful, a travesty overseen by 3 large multinationals, non of them Irish. The way we saw it, the soul had slipped out of distilling in Ireland and this just couldn t be allowed in the birthplace of distilled drinks. The Irish are a proud bunch with a rebel heart and yet a part of us had somehow been pulled from under us. We had worked in and around the drinks industry but wanted to forge our own path, to set up something meaningful. Something that meant we could make innovative spirits while staying true to the tradition and heritage of our ancestors. Where the Glendalough Craft Distillery story starts is exactly where it should start - with the first ever spirit, the original Irish spirit, poitín. Meticulously crafted using recipes and methods passed down through generations, the Glendalough poitín range is the first step in an exciting journey starting from a small distillery in the Wicklow mountains. If you re reading this, you are now part of the revival of Ireland s distilling heritage and the Glendalough family. A thousand welcomes.
The Glendalough brand Glendalough, the place Glendalough ( the glen of two lakes ) is a glacial valley located just south of Dublin, in scenic County Wicklow, known as the garden of Ireland. It is one of the most visited places in Ireland, with over a million people visiting each year (Ireland s population is only 4m). It is renowned for its natural beauty and also, its monastic settlement, founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, a legendary monk. St. Kevin He s the bearded guy on our bottle. In the story of St. Kevin, our brand attitude and personality is personified. He possessed the courage of his convictions that so attracted people to him. Being born into Irish nobility didn t stop him breaking out on his own and fiercely following his own path. a strength of character that is unyielding against the frivolities of life He stood out as a true leader, building a civilization in an isolated valley. In particular the story of Kevin and the blackbird, shown here, provides the main allegory of our brand. The Blackbird Kevin was so at one with nature, that one day, while taking in his beautiful valley (he prayed with his arms aloft - it was harder that way and he liked to do things the hard way) a blackbird landed on his hand. Feeling right at home, she laid 3 little, bluish-green eggs. Kevin stood out in the elements day and night, never moving until the eggs had hatched and the chicks had fledged.
How we make it The Mash We craft Glendalough from an old poitín recipe using malted barley and the almost-lost, Irish sugar beet. The barley is malted to form the basis of our mash. The sugar beet is a traditional Irish break crop (to rest soil between grazing herds) and was perfect as a starchy, sugary raw material for poitín making. Although the potato became more famous as a poitín ingredient, when the craft was at its peak malted barley was the main ingredient in the mash. It was made this way for a thousand years before potatoes arrived in Ireland. Distillation Then we ferment for over 72 hours which gives a higher alcohol percentage and a more robust flavor. On top of that, we take higher cut points off the still that give us heads and tails that are more in line with a whiskey. These heads and tails are the beginnings of what could be called imperfections either side of the heart of the batch. But if you ve the right man on the still, these cut points can be manipulated with precision to create a more complex taste. Maturation After this delicate distillation process, it s matured in Irish oak for up to six months. This allows the spirit to interact with the wood, which mellows and smoothens it, giving it that creamy mouthfeel. It also extracts more flavour from the oak. This time it s the woodier, vanilla oil and slight touches of caramel tones. And the fact that it s virgin oak, means that it can add flavour without imparting color. (Although the Sherry Cask Finish is aged further, using pre-loved Spanish sherry casks, giving a light, honey color. This was probably what gave it its name nectar back in the day.
THE GLENDALOUGH POITÍN RANGE PREMIUM IRISH POITÍN We ve harnessed tradition, craft and heritage to capture a millennium and a half of distilling expertise in this ancient and notorious drink. It is carefully crafted from an old poitín recipe using the finest Irish sugar beets and malted barley. It is batch distilled and matured in virgin Irish oak. The result is a smooth but complex mix of malted barley sugars and toasted, woody flavours. The nose is slight in nature with a faint Riesling fragrance, no less. Oak, berried fruit, gooseberries and blackcurrants are in there. A good, heady aroma. The taste is creamy and mellow in the mouth. Traces of lychees and hints of cracked black pepper, dried fruits, vanilla and toasty oak make it a very full flavored poitín. The finish has good length, it s lingering and warming with a sweet and slightly salty, yet spicy tail of dried fruit and berry notes.
MOUNTAIN STRENGTH POITÍN We only add a drop of water off the still to this spirit. With the same depth of flavor of the original, the strong, flavoursome Mountain Strength builds on the spicy and woody side of the taste profile. Take it with a drop of water for the real authentic feel, neat if you have the bottle, or into cocktails and mixed drinks for an extra kick. Enjoy it for the real experience it offers, but be careful with this one. The nose is the first step up in intensity. Oak, berried fruit, gooseberries and blackcurrants are in there. A strong, promising, heady aroma. The taste stays smooth given its strength, with a trace of lychees now. The cracked black pepper, dried fruits, toasty oak and barley become more acute adding further depth to the already full flavor profile. The finish is lingering, warm and soothing with a spicy tail and dried-fruit and berry notes. It holds its complexity well despite the higher alcohol.
SHERRY CASK FINISH With a tip of the hat to a great poitín maker of old, a hero of ours called McGoldrick, we take our Glendalough Premium Poitín and introduce it to some Spanish sherry casks. It extracts some more depth of flavour with a now visible wood finish, and added touches of honey and raisin. The extra time in the pre-loved sherry cask oak brings the already smooth Glendalough towards a velvety mouth-feel with a crystal clear light amber color. The nose builds on the original with blueberry wine sweetness, vanilla and almost a zest of orange peel. It s noticeably fruitier and you know you re in for something different with this one. The taste is thicker and hangs on the middle of the tongue with a touch of dried apricots. A touch of cracked pepper, vanilla oils from the extra time spent with the oak and of course hints of sweet sherry. A very full flavored poitín that goes down nicely. The finish is a little longer, sweet with a touch of saltiness that stays with you. Warming with berry fruit that lasts.
How to drink it Shots Traditionally the rare oul stuff was drunk neat, out of any kind of jar. Normally amongst good friends who were up to no good. Glendalough is great as a shot, with just the right kick. Sipping Smooth from virgin oak-aging and with a robust flavour profile, Glendalough is a good sipping poitín, which is a very rare thing. Its appeal is that it has the sweetness of a rum, from thesugar beet, and the body of a whiskey, from the malted barley. Pour it over ice, kick back and it ll sure cure what ails you. Mixing Poitín adds a complexity to any mixed drink. The bold flavour holds its own and adds a layer of complexity to any mixed drink. Have some easy but solid drinks you can jump behind a bar to make for the buyer. You can choose these from our cocktail cookbook.
Cocktails Don t be afraid to shake things up. Flavors like apple, ginger, cinnamon, honey even butterscotch really bring out the sweet, oaky tones. Herbs and berries too, like elderberry, blueberries, blackberries, loganberries, thyme, mint and even basil all complement the flavor profile across the Glendalough range. Adapting the classics with the Poitín can also give some new and exciting results. Check out our site, or facebook page for cocktail and infusion ideas.
original irish spirit GlendaloughPoitin.com