How is Poitín illegal?

dasdog

...at what % does alcoholic drink become criminal?

Wacker The Attacker

When it turns your sh1t black

admiralofthefleet

because its horrible?

syklops

dasdog wrote: »

...at what % does alcoholic drink become criminal?

Distilling without a license is illegal.

Herb Powell

Because you need a licence to distill. It's nothing to do with % ABV

galwayrush

No control over it's production, widely varied proof.
Plus no VAT...

Get Real

40% alc vol is yje limit in Ireland. Generally poitin can be anywhere from 70-80% alc vol, same as absinthe. Although I beleive certain speciality shops are exempt but can only sell a certain amount and and very high prices.

juice1304

Because it can make you go blind and or even kill you. The alcohol that comes out of the still first is highly toxic.

Yakult

An alcoholic drink thats illegal in Ireland?! Wtf

admiralofthefleet

galwayrush wrote: »

No control over it's production, widely varied proof.
Plus no VAT...

that and it could peel the enamel off a bucket. my granda used to mix it with oil and rub it into his knees

GRMA

Bring back McIlhatton

Herb Powell

juice1304 wrote: »

Because it can make you go blind and or even kill you. The alcohol that comes out of the still first is highly toxic.

Methanol is one hell of a drug.

Corruptedmorals

juice1304 wrote: »

Because it can make you go blind and or even kill you. The alcohol that comes out of the still first is highly toxic.

Yes, and Bali and other Indonesian islands are proof of that. Unregulated unlicensed 'the stronger the better' drink can be very dangerous, I'm glad it doesn't happen here.

admiralofthefleet

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

because its horrible?

By that logic the majority of pisswater beer (bud etc.) sold in Irish pubs should be illegal!

Not sure the legality has anything to do with the alcohol %, more to do with your license to sell liquor and to manufacture a product safe for human consumption in a sterile environment that can be checked out by your local health board.

You can buy a bottle of something called "poitin" in Shannon airport duty free, which I doubt very much was cooked up in a bucket behind some chancer's shed up a mountain in Kerry somewhere for instance.

Pure Sound

GRMA wrote: »

Bring back McIlhatton

You blurt we need you

seven_eleven

I dislike when people replace "why" with "how".

Scortho

Can be bought in the Celtic whiskey shop in Dawson st.
https://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/Irish_Liqueurs/Poitin/A_to_z_of_Poitin-category-6-distillery-33-z-distillery.htm
The reason as to why you can't buy the poitin made down the country (haven't heard of it in dublin) is because you need a license to distill spirits. Which are very expensive.

hfallada

If you rub it on your skin its like deep heat... I think its more down to not having tax that its illegal. Like selling medical marijuana in california without having a licence and paying tax on it

MadsL

Herb Powell wrote: »

Methanol is one hell of a drug.

Methanol, not even once.

dasdog

seven_eleven wrote: »

I dislike when people replace "why" with "how".

Guaranteed you've never taken LSD.

Capt'n Midnight

dasdog wrote: »

...at what % does alcoholic drink become criminal?

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/excise/duties/excise-duty-rates.html

You need to pay excise duty on anything with more than 1.2% alcohol.

36.85 per litre of alcohol in the spirits after that if you have the necessary licenses which cost €500 each

you need licenses to distil and wholesale / retail licenses

opinion guy

dasdog wrote: »

...at what % does alcoholic drink become criminal?

40%

Rasheed

Went to a friends granny's house one night and we started drinking poitin.

Jesus, I never tasted anything so horrid but I kept at it regardless. Fell asleep where I was sitting and woke up with the mother of hangovers.

Drank a pint of water and was as drunk again as I was the night before. Apparently that it had something to do with the potency of the poitin still in my system.

Don't ask me why it happened, I just took the word of the granny that was reared on it.

It's desperate stuff but you have to try it once.

shedweller

Rasheed wrote: »

Went to a friends granny's house one night and we started drinking poitin.

Jesus, I never tasted anything so horrid but I kept at it regardless. Fell asleep where I was sitting and woke up with the mother of hangovers.

Drank a pint of water and was as drunk again as I was the night before. Apparently that it had something to do with the potency of the poitin still in my system.

Don't ask me why it happened, I just took the word of the granny that was reared on it.

It's desperate stuff but you have to try it once.

Ya see, something that hatchet should be illegal as much as legal, if you catch my meaning. Mind you, theres loads of gear thats illegal and theres feck all being done about it.

They shouldn't be allowed call that crap they sell in airports "poitin". Proper poitin is lovely stuff especially in a hot poitin, it will help clear a cold more than any tablets .

Senna

Get Real wrote: »

40% alc vol is yje limit in Ireland.

opinion guy wrote: »

40%

Chartreuse is 55% and sold in pubs.

Legwinski

opinion guy wrote: »

40%

Pretty sure Goldschlager and Green Chartreuse are over 40%!

shedweller

So it's the lack of tax then. \thread

Senna

There isn't an upper limit, pure alcohol will just rip your throat and no-one would drink it. High alcohol drinks are available but the ABV rates make them too expensive for anyone to bother buying.

syklops

Alec Shapely Stimulation wrote: »

They shouldn't be allowed call that crap they sell in airports "poitin". Proper poitin is lovely stuff especially in a hot poitin, it will help clear a cold more than any tablets .

I can't fully agree with you because my mother did the flavouring for the Bunratty poitin which is popular among US Soldiers and is sold in Shannon Airport.

Its shame that so much is done to keep the Irish language alive, and another part of Irish culture and heritage has been made illegal and the skill of making poitin is on its deathbed. Quality poitin, like quality vodka has a smooth flavour and is very drinkable. Unfortunately, few if any examples remain.

Senna

syklops wrote: »

I can't fully agree with you because my mother did the flavouring for the Bunratty poitin which is popular among US Soldiers and is sold in Shannon Airport.

Its shame that so much is done to keep the Irish language alive, and another part of Irish culture and heritage has been made illegal and the skill of making poitin is on its deathbed. Quality poitin, like quality vodka has a smooth flavour and is very drinkable. Unfortunately, few if any examples remain.

It's only illegal to make and sell if you don't declare it to the customs, there is nothing Illegal about poitín itself. I cant see unregulated poitín being a good thing, god only knows what could be in it.

shedweller

syklops wrote: »

I can't fully agree with you because my mother did the flavouring for the Bunratty poitin which is popular among US Soldiers and is sold in Shannon Airport.

Its shame that so much is done to keep the Irish language alive, and another part of Irish culture and heritage has been made illegal and the skill of making poitin is on its deathbed. Quality poitin, like quality vodka has a smooth flavour and is very drinkable. Unfortunately, few if any examples remain.

Now that, i would like to experience. So what do we do, to keep poitin alive? Regulations will make a bollix of it for sure.

Senna

Senna wrote: »

Chartreuse is 55% and sold in pubs.

That doesn't mean they are allowed to sell it though. There must be something to the rumour that high alcohol drinks cannot be sold here. Why havent offies started importing some absinthe for instance? I think 42% vodka is the strongest drink ive seen for sale in an offlicence in Ireland.

Even some normal drink appear to be watered down for Ireland and the Uk. For instance I got a bottle of bombay Sapphire gin recently that was bought in duty free it's not a special one or anything and it's 47%, while the one sold here is 40%. It appears ourselves and the UK get a watered down version compared to everyone else.

dasdog

48% is a nice civil servant number. Who made these rules?

The Hill Billy

Get Real wrote: »

40% alc vol is yje limit in Ireland.

opinion guy wrote: »

40%

Source? As far as I am aware there is no upper legal ABV limit for alcohol sold in Ireland.

Senna

Alec Shapely Stimulation wrote: »

That doesn't mean they are allowed to sell it though. There must be something to the rumour that high alcohol drinks cannot be sold here. Why havent offies started importing some absinthe for instance? I think 42% vodka is the strongest drink ive seen for sale in an offlicence in Ireland.

Even some normal drink appear to be watered down for Ireland and the Uk. For instance I got a bottle of bombay Sapphire gin recently that was bought in duty free it's not a special one or anything and it's 47%, while the one sold here is 40%. It appears ourselves and the UK get a watered down version compared to everyone else.

Absinthe did come into the Irish market, i think it was 70%, but due to the way our DUTY works it cost €80 per bottle, so no-one bought it.
Same goes for things like Gin, a bottle @ 37.5% costs €20. Increase the alcohol to 47% and the bottle might cost €40 (all examples), so again no-one buys it.
You can buy Smirnoff Black which I think is 50%(or is that the green?).

For whiskey, duty is €39.25 per litre of alcohol. Note, not per litre of whiskey. So for a litre of whiskey containg 40% alcohol by volume (ABV), the duty payable is 40% x €39.25 = €15.70.

This is one reason, incidentally, that supermarket whiskey brands are always 40% ABV. Any higher and more duty would be payable. Any lower and it would not legally be whiskey.

VAT is 21% for whiskey. It's calculated on the retail price (ex-VAT) including duty.

Let's work an actual example. If a 70cl bottle of Jameson (40% ABV) costs you €26, how much are you donating to the Exchequer?

€26 includes 21% VAT so the amount of VAT is €4.51. The duty is 40% x 0.7l x €39.25 which is €10.99.

So total taxes are €4.51 + €10.99 = €15.50. As a percentage of the final price paid, that's 59.6%.

TheBza

I like it, one the lads who could get the stuff that would knock the socks off you has immigrated, would love to still be able to get it.

Capt'n Midnight

dasdog wrote: »

48% is a nice civil servant number. Who made these rules?

Gunpowder won't burn when soaked in rum that contained less than approximately 57.15% ABV

kumate_champ07

theres good poitín and bad poitín.
not every home made beer or wine is nice either, like everything consumable you need skill to make something high quality

C.K Dexter Haven

As long as its made with 29% horse meat, it should be fine OP.

hitemfrank

Alec Shapely Stimulation wrote: »

That doesn't mean they are allowed to sell it though. There must be something to the rumour that high alcohol drinks cannot be sold here. Why havent offies started importing some absinthe for instance? I think 42% vodka is the strongest drink ive seen for sale in an offlicence in Ireland.

Even some normal drink appear to be watered down for Ireland and the Uk. For instance I got a bottle of bombay Sapphire gin recently that was bought in duty free it's not a special one or anything and it's 47%, while the one sold here is 40%. It appears ourselves and the UK get a watered down version compared to everyone else.

You can buy Laphroaig Scotch that have 58.3% (Quarter Cask and 10 Year Old Cask Strength) over here no problem so I'm fairly sure it's nothing to do with alcohol content

stmol32

Senna wrote: »

It's only illegal to make and sell if you don't declare it to the customs, there is nothing Illegal about poitín itself.

Is this true?
If so it takes away a lot of the romanticism associated with illegal hooch and puts the whole thing, for me anyway, in a whole different perspective.

syklops

Senna wrote: »

It's only illegal to make and sell if you don't declare it to the customs, there is nothing Illegal about poitín itself. I cant see unregulated poitín being a good thing, god only knows what could be in it.

To make it you need to distill it. Distillation without a license is illegal. Obtaining a license is very difficult . Thats before you get into the issue of selling it.

Now that, i would like to experience. So what do we do, to keep poitin alive? Regulations will make a bollix of it for sure.

If a heritage group could apply for a license, it might be a start. Then open the doors and let people come in and have their own concotions distilled by a qualified professional. That might breathe new life into the custom.

opinion guy

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Source? As far as I am aware there is no upper legal ABV limit for alcohol sold in Ireland.

I read it somewhere before but can't find a source now. Could be wrong - its what I thought however

Senna

syklops wrote: »

To make it you need to distill it. Distillation without a license is illegal. Obtaining a license is very difficult . Thats before you get into the issue of selling it.

Yeah there is a whole legal process, I just meant there is nothing illegal about poitín, you can make it and sell it, but obviously there is a whole legal side to be taken care of first. poitín is very much legal.

QuiteInterestin

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

that and it could peel the enamel off a bucket. my granda used to mix it with oil and rub it into his knees

Reminds me of a man telling me how once, about 20 years ago in America while visiting family, he and his wife were offered the american version 'Moonshine'. It was awful, not sure what he did with his, but his wife 'accidentally spilt' hers and it lifted up one of the floor tiles.

Seaneh

Alec Shapely Stimulation wrote: »

That doesn't mean they are allowed to sell it though. There must be something to the rumour that high alcohol drinks cannot be sold here. Why havent offies started importing some absinthe for instance? I think 42% vodka is the strongest drink ive seen for sale in an offlicence in Ireland.

Even some normal drink appear to be watered down for Ireland and the Uk. For instance I got a bottle of bombay Sapphire gin recently that was bought in duty free it's not a special one or anything and it's 47%, while the one sold here is 40%. It appears ourselves and the UK get a watered down version compared to everyone else.

Salt House in Galway and Against the Grain in Dublin sell several cask strength whiskeys which are 60%+.

There is no law on the upper limit of alcohol volume.

It's nonsense.

syklops

Seaneh wrote: »

Salt House in Galway and Against the Grain in Dublin sell several cask strength whiskeys which are 60%+.

There is no law on the upper limit of alcohol volume.

It's nonsense.

Penderyn Madeira finish 46% in the Celtic Whiskey Shop

Blantons Silver edition Bourbon 48%

Four Roses Single Barrel 50%

Ardbeg Corryvreckan 57.1%

ViveLaVie

Alec Shapely Stimulation wrote: »

That doesn't mean they are allowed to sell it though. There must be something to the rumour that high alcohol drinks cannot be sold here. Why havent offies started importing some absinthe for instance? I think 42% vodka is the strongest drink ive seen for sale in an offlicence in Ireland.

Even some normal drink appear to be watered down for Ireland and the Uk. For instance I got a bottle of bombay Sapphire gin recently that was bought in duty free it's not a special one or anything and it's 47%, while the one sold here is 40%. It appears ourselves and the UK get a watered down version compared to everyone else.

You can get absinthe in offies. Saw it in one recently.

DEFTLEFTHAND

If it's brewed by a company with a distilling licence it's legal. It's like moonshine in the States, certain companies do produce it, albeit in a less potent form.