The implications of FDR’s policy are vast. The secondary market for used barrels - predominantly from Kentucky and Tennessee - sees barrels first used in the United States and then shipped to traditional whiskey producing nations like Scotland, Ireland and Japan, and increasingly into emerging whiskey producing countries like Australia, New Zealand, India and Taiwan. In 1938, as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ legislation, the requirement for whiskey to be aged in new American charred oak barrels was codified into law to create jobs for the influential timber industry and coopers’ unions.īecause of that requirement, the international market for barrels revolves around American whiskey. But let’s look into that barrel requirement…Īfter Prohibition ended, there were a lot of thirsty Americans, and the industry roared back to life to crank out as much alcohol as quickly as possible. Today, many whiskey nerds know that all bourbon must be matured in new American charred oak barrels. Today, many of the stills that went quiet during the dark times have returned, and new distilleries are popping up throughout Ireland as the whiskey renaissance continues to lead global drinking trends.Īnother impact of the repeal of Prohibition was the way bourbon was aged. Luckily, the few remaining producers banded together and on the back of one single brand - Jameson - crawled out from the bottom to slowly rebuild their international reputation. At one point there was only one remaining operational distillery on the entire island. By the time American Prohibition ended in 1933, the Irish were on the ropes. And domestic laws aimed at constraining alcoholism tamped down on whiskey promotion, marketing and bar and home sales. Then, in 1920, American Prohibition cut the Irish off from their largest single remaining export market. Scotch whisky was the immediate beneficiary, which helps to explain why much of the rest of the English-speaking world continues to use the ‘whisky’ spelling. The British refused to export Irish whiskey to any of the countries in the commonwealth - which at the time included India, much of modern-day China and Burma, Canada, Australia, swaths of Africa and more. The British Navy held superiority throughout the world on the high seas. This had a disastrous effect on the Irish whiskey market. In 1916, the Irish fought to break away from British rule. The Americans, who had a fondness for Irish whiskey, soon followed. Legislation was passed that allowed products distilled using the modern techniques to be called ‘whisky.’ The Irish were so upset they quit using the word ‘whisky’ and unanimously called their product ‘whiskey’ in protest. A war was waged in the British parliament. While the Irish decided not to mess with a good thing and continued to distill using their enormous copper pot stills, the Scots embraced column distillation. But the invention of the Coffey still in the 1830s upended the whiskey world. In the 1800s, Ireland held a significant share of the global whiskey market in both volume and value. But a few disastrous coincidences crumbled a global empire and nearly led to the complete extinction of Irish whiskey. On the global market, thrice-distilled whiskeys made in Dublin were held in higher esteem than Scottish single malts or American bourbons during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. The earliest written evidence of distillation comes from Scotland in 1494, but many historians and anthropologists believe whiskey distillation began on the British Isles over a millennium ago!įor much of that history, Irish whiskey was considered the superior product. There is a lively debate about whether whiskey originated in Ireland or Scotland. As the world of whiskey continues to grow, distillers on both continents continue to push boundaries on traditional practices. We’ll explore these variations in subsequent sections. But throughout this article, try to remember there are Irish whiskeys that utilize American-style traditions and Bourbon brands that incorporate styles perfected by the Irish. You’ll see there are many other differences when we get into the various sub-categories. And Irish whiskey is exclusively made on the island of Ireland. There is one crucial difference: Bourbon is exclusively made in the United States. The Key Differences Between Bourbon and Irish whiskey The Key Differences Between Bourbon and Irish whiskey.