Poitin

Bottles of legally produced poitin
Type	Distilled beverage
Country of origin	Ireland
Alcohol by volume	variable, 40?90%
Proof (US)	variable, 80°?180°
Colour	Colourless
Flavour	burning, grainy, oily, toffee [1]
Ingredients	oats , water (optional: whey , grain, sugar beet , molasses , potatoes , sugar )
Related products	potato vodka , Irish whiskey

Poitin ( Irish pronunciation: [?p??t?iːn?] ), anglicized as poteen ( / p ? ? t ( ? ) iː n , p ? ? t iː n / ) or potcheen , is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40?90% ABV ). ^[2] Former common names for Poitin were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". ^[3] It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the term is a diminutive of the Irish word pota , meaning "pot". The Irish word for a hangover is poit . ^[4] In accordance with the Irish Poteen/Irish Poitin technical file, it can only be made from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses and potatoes. ^[5]

Legal status [ edit ]

At the parliament at Drogheda in 1556, a requirement for a licence to distill spirits was introduced. ^{[6] [7]}

Today in Ireland there are a number of commercially produced spirits labelled as poitin, poteen or potcheen. In 2008, Irish poitin was accorded (GI) Geographical Indicative Status by the EU Council and Parliament . ^[8]

In 2015, in consultation with producers and stakeholders, the Irish Government adopted the Geographical Indication technical file for poitin, outlining the production methods that must be used in order for a spirit to be called Irish Poitin. Topics covered included allowable base materials, distillation method, use of flavourings/infusions and limited storage in casks. ^[5]

However, the notion of "legal poitin" has been viewed as an oxymoron by some, one writer observing, "If you see a product labelled 'poteen' in an airport or a bar, it's simply a white duty-paid Irish schnapps . By definition, poteen is illegal and can't be sold." ^[9]

Poitin was also produced in the growing Irish diaspora in the 19th century, particularly in any of the New York City neighbourhoods dubbed "Irishtown". ^[10]

Production [ edit ]

Poitin was generally produced in remote rural areas, away from the interference of the law. A mash was created and fermented before the distillation began. Stills were often set up on land boundaries so the issue of ownership could be disputed. Before the introduction of bottled gas, the fire to heat the wash was provided by turf . Smoke was a giveaway for the police, so windy, broken weather was chosen to disperse the smoke. The still was heated and attended to for several days to allow the runs to go through.

The old style of poitin distilling was from a malted barley base for the mash, the same as single malt whiskey or pure pot still whiskey distilled in Ireland. The word poitin stems from the Irish word "pota" for pot; this refers to the small copper pot still used by poitin distillers. ^[11]

Because poitin was covertly home-distilled for centuries, there is no formal recipe for it. ^[12]

In more recent times, some distillers deviated from using malted barley as a base of the mash bill due to the cost and availability instead switching to using treacle, corn and potatoes. It is believed this switch led to the deteriorating quality and character of poitin in the late 20th century. ^{[13] [ unreliable source? ]}

The quality of poitin was highly variable, depending on the skill of the distiller and the quality of their equipment. Reputations were built on the quality of the distiller's poitin, and many families became known for their distilling expertise, where a bad batch could put a distiller out of business overnight. ^{[13] [14]} It has been claimed that the drink can cause blindness, ^[15] but this is more likely due to methanol adulteration than to lack of quality. ^[16]

Literature, film and traditional music [ edit ]

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Poitin is a trope in Irish poetry and prose of the nineteenth century. The Irish critic Sinead Sturgeon has demonstrated how the illegality of the substance became a crucial theme running through the writings of Maria Edgeworth and William Carleton . ^[17] Many characters in the work of contemporary Irish playwright Martin McDonagh consume or refer to poitin, most notably the brothers in The Lonesome West . In the Saga of Darren Shan book The Lake of Souls the character Spits Abrams brews his own poitin. In Frank McCourt 's book 'Tis , he recalls his mother Angela telling him that when his brother Malachy visited her in Limerick , he obtained poitin in the countryside and drank it with her.

Some traditional Irish folk songs, such as The Hills of Connemara and The Rare Old Mountain Dew , deal with the subject of poitin. The folk song "Tinkers' Potcheen" by Seamus Moore recounts the way in which the practice of producing poitin is passed down through families. The persecution of the poitin-maker by the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1880s Cavan is treated in The Hackler from Grouse Hall and its reply The Sergent's Lamentation . In the first song, an overzealous sergeant pursued an ageing hackler with a fondness for poitin. ^{[18] [ verification needed ]}

The 1959 film Darby O'Gill and the Little People features Darby splitting a jug of poitin with the King of the leprechauns as the two engage in a drinking game.

Poitin was the titular subject matter of the 1978 film Poitin which was the first feature film entirely in Gaeilge .

See also [ edit ]

• Irish whiskey
• Moonshine
• Pure pot still whiskey

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

Look up poteen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Detailed list of the types of Poteen
• What is Poitin? Archived 18 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine