Poitin (the drink)

darkdubh

I'm talking specifically about the beverage rather than the Niall Toibin film though that brilliantly captured the world of Poitin makers and drinkers in rural Ireland. I'm just curious as to wether there's still this illicit brewing of it going on in remote parts of the country. I remember an RTE news report from I think the 80's of Gardai in Connemara smashing barrels of poitin like something from 1920s Chicago. It seemed then to be something that was on the verge of dying out.

rubadub

There was a program on about a year ago showing some lad setting up a legal poitin company. There was a tradition of it in his family and he was using an old recipe handed down through generations. They made big point of it being made in the traditional way etc, I was very interested to see what type of still etc they would be using.

I was then very disappointed to see they just bought an off the shelf stainless steel distillation column -authentic me hole, wasn't even a pot still column.

it is on sale here -Micil Irish Poitin
http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/other/-poitin

The Story of Micil Irish Poit
Micil Irish Poitis named after my great – great – great grandfather Micil Mac Chearra and created in a time-honoured tradition. Five generations have preserved the craft, producing this unique poitspirit for family and friends

This is the column from their facebook page.




meanwhile at trade shows they try and look more traditional.



As for illegal stuff I imagine there is less demand as spirits are relatively cheap these days, 12.99 for 700ml of vodka is normal enough, so that side of the market would be largely gone. Though some might like the taste. You will still see news reports of counterfeit vodka distilleries but not the same thing. Any I have tasted in the last 10 years was very weak, it was nasty tasting so people thought it was strong, but I have a pretty good gauge for strength and would say none was over 50%.

benjamin d

Certainly in Connemara and parts of Donegal it's not much harder to get illegal poitin than it is to go to an off licence, if you know where to look - or more who to ask! I'm sure much of the rural west is similar.

Spirits at up to 70-odd % alcohol is manky though, and purely for the purposes of getting drunk as quickly as possible. I think most people's drinking habits have moved beyond it; maybe I'm wrong.

MysticMonk

People still make it in various forms around the country,particularly in rural connemara.
As has been pointed out it's quite cheap to buy ordinary whiskey or vodka from a shop now so that sort of puts most people off buying it (as well as possible health effects).
A big problem too is that potin making has always been treated as a substantial tax evasion excercise and if you're caught,fines up up to 5000 euro and confiscation of all equipment is possible.

L1011

There were some more urban makers who got caught due to the high, blobby gas consumption - you don't distill all the time and you need a lot of heat to do it. Quite easy for the gas network to notice. No mains gas in the rural areas!

MysticMonk

L1011 wrote: »

There were some more urban makers who got caught due to the high, blobby gas consumption - you don't distill all the time and you need a lot of heat to do it. Quite easy for the gas network to notice. No mains gas in the rural areas!

The gas network don't care as long as you pay your gas bill!

Same with growing dope indoors..most people who get caught are rumbled because they're attempting to steal power from another supply. I heard a story (probably untrue) about a guy in england who ran a garden centre from a nearby streetlight!

PatrickG

In response to Rubadub I would like to clear up a number of misrepresentations of the truth and some spurious assertions. Firstly the documentary was aired on New Year's Day at 9pm and thankfully it has gone down a storm. I have been overwhelmed by the positive response I have received from benevolent individuals since then - it's humbling and an honour. There are of course a very small minority that will begrudge, condemn and criticise. Luckily for me, most reasonable and fair people recognise the authenticity of my story and of my craft. I'm a proud distiller, my ancestors learnt the craft and passed it on to each generation and I'm lucky that I could be around my grandfather to learn from him. He's glad to see his grandson continue the legacy left by himself and his ancestors.

Next I would like to address the issue of the still type. I suggest you do some research on stills before you condemn my equipment and speak from your proverbial hole as you so eloquently put it yourself. It is not a column still as you suggest nor is it an off-the shelf still. It is a pot still but let's get technical and pedantic - it's a hybrid as it has a small rectification column on top. Do you even know the difference between a pot still and a column still? The still was part-manufactured locally and I bought components from an Austrian company - it's not an off-the-shelf still.

Context is very important too. I have a lot of heritage behind me but what I don't have is a lot of money to buy the most expensive stills on the market. I did the best I could with what I had - lots of passion and skill but not much money. I gave up a steady career to pursue my passion and make a go of it. You're free to start up yourself if you feel you can do it better. It's very easy to complain and condemn. Copper stills look beautiful and that is the aspiration but they're very expensive.

The still is a stainless steel shell but it has copper plates. I'm going to assume you thought I should have a copper pot still with no stainless steel. Yes they look wonderful but essentially have no bearing on the quality of the final product. Copper is very important but only at the vapour phase, this is why the still is packed with plenty of copper to get the desired neutralising effect of sulphur notes.

The fact that we bring along a little display still to shows has nothing to do with portraying a specific image. It's a practical solution. The simple pot still is used as an aid to explain the simple elements of the process and give attendees a visual representation to understand what a still looks like.

Our poitín is traditional in every way, my own grandfather gave his stamp of approval from a flavour point of view - as have many of that generation that know what the real old mountain dew tastes like. We are heavily regulated by the Revenue Commissioners and they are protecting the integrity of the category. Every part of my process has been inspected and approved - the consumer is getting the real deal from the product to the packaging description. Just recently Micil has won a Great Taste Award and we're thrilled - it's a blind tasting conducted by industry experts such as restaurateurs, food critics and sommeliers.

branie2

It's a popular illicit drink in the TV soap Ros na Run