Irish Whiskey’s Most Influential Figures
As regular readers of the GreatDrams blogs will no doubt be aware, the Emerald Isle is a part of the world that has a very special place in my heart. I love the food and drink, I love the coastlines and countryside, I love the architecture, I love how friendly and welcoming the locals are, I love a good pint of Guinness, and of course, I love the whiskey.
Irish whiskey is now in huge demand all over the world, which is remarkable considering that, not too long ago, the industry was in danger of going under completely. Following a resurgence in the 80s and 90s, as well as a great deal of investment, Ireland’s whiskey market is now thriving, with more than 50 working distilleries currently found across the nation.
Throughout the years, whiskey production in Ireland has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but one thing that is for certain is the fact that, were it not for a number of prominent figures, the industry wouldn’t be as healthy as it is today. In fact, one could argue that the industry wouldn’t be here at all and would simply have faded into obscurity like so many others.
Today, I want to pay homage to just a few of the people, past and present, that have helped to put Irish whisky on the map and shape it into the global juggernaut it is today.
John Teeling
I’ve a lot of time for the folks over at Teeling Whiskey. Having been opened in 2015, the distillery may be relatively new compared to its Scottish counterparts, but their achievements over the last decade have been quite remarkable.
The distillery was established by two brothers, Stephen and Jack Teeling, yet it’s their father, John, whom I want to focus on here.
John James Teeling is a pioneer of Irish whiskey and played an integral role in the spirit’s resurgence in the 1980s. He saw the huge potential of this amazing spirit and broke the Irish Distillers monopoly by launching the Cooley Distillery in 1986. In 2012, US company Beam Inc purchased the distillery for $98 million.
In 2013, he purchased Diageo’s Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, which became The Great Northern Distillery and began focusing on single malt, single grain, pot still whiskey.
Ay 79 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down and regularly attends business meetings, group events, and seminars where he often gives speeches and shares words of wisdom.
What’s this? A Scot on a list of prominent figures in Irish whiskey? No, I’ve not made a mistake, as you’ll soon find out.
John Jameson originally worked as a lawyer in Scotland before moving to Dublin and establishing his own Irish whiskey distillery in 1780. Whiskey was in his blood as he was married to Margart Haig, the eldest daughter of a whisky distiller in Scotland by the name of John Haig (yes, that Haig).
Jameson purchased the Bow St Distillery in Dublin and began producing his own batches of triple-distilled whiskey. The whiskey, thanks to its trademark smoothness proved a huge success and laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most famous whiskey brands on the planet more than two centuries later.
His son John II took over in 1810 and expanded the distillery to become one of Ireland’s largest. By the late 1800s, his son John III had taken the business global, making Jameson Whiskey one of the most recognised brands on the planet.
Katherine Condon
As we’ve seen in many instances over the years, women have played integral roles in whiskey/whisky production and have proved that the whiskey biz isn’t just one big boy’s club.
From the ‘mother of Japanese whisky’ Rita Cowan to Stephanie Macleod, one of the world’s finest Master Blenders, some of the world’s most prominent figures in whisky/whiskey have been female, and Katherine Condon is a prime example.
Katherine joined Irish Distillers in 2014, where she worked in their Graduate Distiller Program. A former chemical engineer, she quickly impressed and began climbing the ranks. By 2020 she was appointed as Distiller at the Midleton Distillery, where she continues to impress.
John Quinn
With nearly five decades of experience in the whiskey business, John Quinn is one of Irish whiskey’s most influential, knowledgeable, and committed individuals.
As you know, I love the fact that every whiskey has a story. It’s not just commercially made with the soul purpose of making as much as possible, as quickly as possible, it’s made with love and passion. The people that work with whiskey do so because they’re passionate about it. John Quinn is a prime example of this.
John works as brand ambassador for Tullamore Dew and travels the globe promoting the brand and sharing his wealth of knowledge with all who will listen. He has not only helped put Tullamore Dew on the map on a global scale, but he’s helped highlight just how amazing and unique Irish whiskey can really be.
Aeneas Coffey
Finally, I bet you didn’t expect a former exciseman to have had a positive effect on whiskey, did you? Well, Aeneas Coffey most certainly did, as you’re about to find out.
Following a career as an exciseman, Dublin-born Aeneas Coffey began toying with the idea of getting into whiskey dilatation, having fallen in love with the industry whilst working as a tax collector. Coffey was educated at Dublin’s Trinity College and was a keen inventor.
In 1830, he patented the Coffey Still. This was a double column still that provided distillers the opportunity to continually produce whisky and keep topping it up, rather than having to empty and refill the stills with each batch, as was the case with pot stills.
This new still resulted in whiskey which was softer, smoother, lighter, and fruitier than other grain whiskies. It was whiskey produced via this form of still that helped give Irish whiskey its reputation for being smoother and less harsh than Scotch.
Ironically, many Irish whiskey distilleries snubbed his idea, likely due to his former job title, and he enjoyed far more success in Scotland, Europe, and the US. As the years went by, more Irish whiskey distilleries began to come around and see the potential in these stills, and they became far more common across the Emerald Isle.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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