IF AUTHENTIC Irish whiskey is what you’re after, a trip to the Emerald Isle may be on the cards.
Along with Irish poitín and Irish cream, the renowned Irish spirit must now be produced in Ireland under new laws.
Yesterday, Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney introduced new regulations that aim to protect the heritage of Irish spirits and grow the country’s Irish spirit drinks industry.
Companies producing Irish spirits will now be given greater legal protection as spirit drinks labelled with protected designations must be manufactured in Ireland.
Under European Law, Irish whiskey, Irish poitín and Irish cream are protected ‘geographical indications’, which means they must not only be produced in Ireland, but they must be made in compliance with strict technical specifications.
Significantly, the regulations prevent products manufactured elsewhere in the European Union to receive the same protection.
Mr Coveney said: “Inferior products or those that do not share the uniquely Irish heritage of these protected geographical indications cannot be sold as Irish Whiskey, Irish Poitín or Irish Cream”.
Furthermore, he said that the new rules will help to develop the Irish spirit drinks sector in Ireland.
“These ambitious plans can establish a number of new distilleries to meet the growing demand worldwide,” he said.
Irish whiskey exports grew by almost 200 per cent over the last 10 years and the sector employs over 750 people.
Exports are expected to exceed 12million cases by 2020 and 24million cases by 2030.
Mr Coveney said that whilst there were four distilleries in operation in Ireland three years ago, in the next three years the figure could grow to over 20.
Last week, West Cork Distillers launched a new whiskey brand in conjunction with London-Irish band The Pogues.
