Irish whiskey

What makes Irish whiskey different from all other whiskeys? Let us tell you a little more about its history. You can also take a look at our selection of the best examples of this connoisseur's drink.

History of Irish whiskey

Ireland was the first country in the world on whose territory whiskey production began. The first written records of this date back to 1172.

The spirit's name comes from the Gaelic 'uisge beatha', which meant 'living water'. Gradually the sound of the word changed to 'uishgi', and today it has remained in the English language as whisky.

It is produced by distilling wheat, rye or barley. The lower class of grain whiskies is referred to as Blend Whisky, while if the raw material is only barley malt, we are talking about the high-quality Single Malt Whisky. Blended editions of malt and grain whiskies are also available, but experts say that the better whiskies are those with a malt component of at least 40%. Some also have added corn.

The age of the spirit also matters for the high class, and is determined based on the youngest component in the liquid. The drink is matured in casks. This process stops at bottling. Even if the drink was bottled several years ago, this does not affect the age - it is assumed to have been aged for as many years as it spent in the cask.

While many countries around the world produce whiskey today, Irish whiskey still remains the benchmark for high quality.

What types you will find in the section

• Bushmills - The Irish distillery Bushmills is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. It was established on the rocky coast of County Antrim and was licensed in 1608. The technology has been preserved over the centuries. According to Bushmills, the secret of the drink's unique flavour lies both in the water used from the River Busch, which flows over basalt cliffs, and in the specially crafted casks supplied from Spain and Portugal. Among the types of Irish Bushmills you'll find in our catalogue single barrel offerings that have been aged successively in two types of cask. You can choose between 10, 16 and 21 year olds;
• Jameson. John Jameson founded his distillery in 1780. Today, the founder's tradition of using the finest ingredients with triple distillation is still followed. Among the offerings in the category, you'll find the editions Bow Street, Black Barrel, Cask Mates, Crested, Original and more. Some of the Irish whiskeys have been aged for 18 years;
• Paddy. The spirit is named after the famous Irish merchant Paddy Flaherty. He used to ply everyone with his favourite whisky so they could taste it and then ask to buy it themselves. 'Paddy' has been produced since 1779 in Cork City and relies on sourcing the finest malts and soft local water;
• Pogues;
• Tyrconnel;
• Tullamore Dew. This Irish brand is also included in our catalogue with a variety of offers. You can choose between the Cider Cask series, Collector's Edition and more.
• Connemara;
• Kilbeggan;
• Midleton;
• Powers;
• Sexton;
• Redbreast.

Why choose from Vida.bg

When we created our small wine cellar Vida Wine & Spirits Boutique, our ambition was not just to produce boutique wine from the Vidin region, but to create a place where connoisseurs of quality beverages can discover truly impressive finds.

The online shop Vida.bg offers quality wines and spirits from all over the world. In our Irish whiskey section, premium drinks await you that bring true delight to the senses. Order original collector's editions of the world's best brands at affordable prices!