Situated exactly two weeks to the day before St. Patrick’s Day, International Irish Whiskey Day is a perfect time to raise awareness — and to raise a glass in a toast to this fascinating liquor.
International Irish Whiskey Day Timeline
First Written Record of Irish Whiskey
The Annals of Clonmacnoise record the death of chieftain Richard Magrannell after drinking “uisce beatha,” providing the earliest known written reference to Irish whiskey.
Royal License to Distill in County Antrim
King James I grants Sir Thomas Phillips a license to distill “in the countie of Colrane, otherwise called O Cahanes countrey,” later associated with the Bushmills distilling tradition.
Excise Act Encourages Licensed Distilling
The UK Excise Act of 1823 reduces duties and formalizes distilling licenses, encouraging legal large‑scale production and aiding the growth of Irish and Scotch whiskey industries.
Irish Whiskey Dominates Global Markets
By the mid‑1800s, large Irish distilleries such as John Jameson & Son in Dublin help make Irish whiskey the most widely consumed whiskey in the world, especially across the British Empire and North America.
Royal Commission Broadens “Whisky” Definition
A British Royal Commission on Whisky and Other Potable Spirits concludes that whisky need not be solely pot still spirit, legitimizing grain‑based blends and weakening the competitive position of traditional Irish distillers.
How to Celebrate International Irish Whiskey Day
Sure, this day is a great time to raise a dram, but there’s much more to it than just drinking! More options for celebrating this momentous day include:
Join an Online or Live Event
Today, Irish Pubs and Whiskey Clubs located all over the world host global online and in-person Irish Whiskey tastings, lectures, talks, visits and other fun and educational Irish Whiskey activities each year on March 3rd.
The idea of these events is to educate and inform their patrons and members from all over the world on the wonder and joy of Irish Whiskey, just in time to share their newfound Irish Whiskey knowledge and appreciation with their own friends two weeks later on 17 March St. Patrick’s Day.
In fact, any Pub, Restaurant or Irish Whiskey friendly venue can create a free event and map listing for their March 3rd Irish Whiskey Day Event, no matter where in the world they are located.
Irish Whiskey Tasting Party
Grab a few friends with discerning tastes (five to seven is perfect) and invite them to an Irish Whiskey tasting. Provide 4-5 varieties of Irish whiskey. Choose from:
- Tullamore D.E.W. Original
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
- Bushmills Original
- Redbreast 15 year
- Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
- Knappogue Castle Single Malt 16 Year
It will be necessary to have enough tulip-shaped tasting glasses for each guest to try each type of whiskey. Have a friend bring some along or borrow from a neighbor if there might not be enough on hand.
Make sure there’s enough room temperature bottled water on hand to dilute the drinks as well as for people to drink between tastings. Also provide a few snacks as a palate cleanser, such as oatcakes or crackers.
Make sure each guest has a notepad so they can keep track of their findings when tasting. Aficionados will know to use the terms Nose, Taste and Finish. People who are newer to whiskey tasting can simply write down what they think.
Irish Whiskey in Entertainment
While Scotch whiskey shows up in many films, Irish Whiskey may be just a bit more discerning. Still, for the person who is paying attention, Irish spirits can often be found making Cameo appearances in various films and shows, which are perfect for watching when celebrating International Irish Whiskey Day, such as:
- Mad Men, American drama series (2007-2015). Jameson Irish Whiskey makes an appearance with Don Draper (played by John Hamm), set in the 1960s.
- Kill the Irishman, a 2011 biographical crime film. Bushmills Irish Whiskey is shown passing through the lips of the main character, Danny Greene (played by Ray Stevenson), a few times throughout the film.
- Out of Africa, an epic romantic film (1985). Jameson Irish Whiskey makes a cameo appearance in this film depicting the 1937 autobiographical novel of the same name, by Isak Dinesen.
- Blown Away, a 1994 action thriller where Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones are shown tipping back a few drams of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.
With a growing online audience each year, International Irish Whiskey Day is playing it’s own small part in building a sustainable lifelong tribe of new Irish Whiskey drinkers and aficionados. Join in the celebration!
History of International Irish Whiskey Day
Irish Whiskey Day was created by international whiskey writer Stuart McNamara. Although Stuart writes about whiskey (sometimes spelled “whisky”) from all over the world, his Irish upbringing means that he has a special love and respect for Irish Whiskey in particular.
This led to him becoming the editor of IrishWhiskey.Com, the Irish Whiskey Trail and the Dublin Whiskey Trail.
Stuart became concerned at the way that Irish Whiskey was being marketed outside Ireland by irresponsible marketers as a shots type drink.
It bothered him that people partook of the precious drink without any recognition of the amazing degree of science, art, history, heritage, nature and culture which is the backbone of every single glass of Irish Whiskey or Uisce Beatha in Irish Gaelic.
Of particular worry to Stuart was the lack of respect for Irish Whiskey outside of Ireland on that most Irish of days that occurs each year – St Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated on the 17th of March.
So, Stuart created the special day and the very first International Irish Whiskey Day was celebrated more than ten years ago. And the date chosen was particularly significant in relation to many factors.
Significance of Irish Whiskey Day
The numeral 3 has always been of special importance in Ireland, for a variety of reasons. The symbol of Ireland (the Shamrock) has three leaves. The Irish flag contains three colours (green, white and orange). And there are three types of Irish Whiskey – Single Malt, Single Grain and the uniquely Irish Single Pot Still.
In keeping with the lucky number 3, Irish Whiskey is also unique in that by tradition, it is triple distilled. Plus, this spirit must be matured for 3 years in order to be considered “whiskey”, adding to the fortuitous nature of the number three.
And so, the 3rd of March or 3/3 became the obvious choice of date for our annual Irish Whiskey Day.
Facts About Irish Whiskey Day
Triple Distillation Is Tradition, Not Law
Irish whiskey is widely associated with triple distillation, but Irish and EU regulations do not actually require it.
The legal definition focuses on production in Ireland, use of cereals, distillation strength, and at least three years of maturation in wooden casks, while leaving the number of distillations to the producer.
Some Irish whiskeys, such as Connemara and certain Cooley-origin brands, are only double distilled, yet still fully comply with the Irish whiskey standard.
Single Pot Still Whiskey Grew Out Of A Tax Loophole
Ireland’s signature single pot still style, made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley in a pot still, originated in part as a response to 18th and 19th century British taxes on malted barley.
Distillers began substituting a portion of unmalted grain to reduce their tax burden, and the resulting oily, spicy character became so distinctive that “pot still whiskey” was legally defined as a separate Irish category more than a century later.
Irish Whiskey Once Dominated Global Spirits Trade
In the late 19th century, Irish whiskey was one of the world’s most coveted spirits and accounted for a major share of global whiskey exports.
Dublin houses such as John Jameson, John Power, John Jameson & Son, and George Roe operated huge “Irish whiskey distilling triangle” complexes that exported millions of gallons annually, before a combination of trade wars, Prohibition in the United States, the rise of blended Scotch, and domestic political turmoil nearly destroyed the industry in the early 20th century.
A Category That Nearly Vanished Has Rebounded Dramatically
By the mid‑1980s, Ireland had only two operational whiskey distilleries, and Irish whiskey was viewed as a niche spirit.
Since the 1990s, however, it has become the fastest‑growing major spirits category in the world, with the number of Irish distilleries climbing from just a handful in 2010 to more than 40 licensed distilleries today and exports multiplying several times over in markets such as the United States and continental Europe.
A Protected Spirit Under European Law
“Irish whiskey” is a protected geographical indication under European Union law, which means it must be produced and matured on the island of Ireland and meet a detailed product specification.
The GI protects traditional methods such as batch distillation in copper pot stills and continuous distillation in column stills, and it also controls labeling terms like “single malt,” “single grain,” and “single pot still,” helping prevent misuse of Irish place names on foreign‑made spirits.
The Old Bushmills Claim To 1608 Is Based On A Royal License
Bottles of Bushmills often reference the year 1608, but that date does not mark the founding of the present distillery.
It comes from a license granted by King James I to Sir Thomas Phillips to distill “uisce beatha” in County Antrim. The Bushmills distillery itself traces continuous operation to the late 18th century, yet the 1608 license has become a powerful symbol of how long distillation has been practiced in the region.
Irish Whiskey’s Earliest Written Mention Dates To 1405
One of the first known written references to Irish whiskey appears in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which record the death in 1405 of a chieftain who “died of taking a surfeit of aqua vitae.”
Historians generally regard this “uisce beatha” or “water of life” as an early form of distilled Irish whiskey, suggesting that distilled grain spirits were already significant in Gaelic society by the early 15th century.
