Ireland’s oldest spirit finds new life
Once associated with illicit stills, folklore and rural tradition, Ireland’s native spirit is undergoing a remarkable revival, fuelled by a new generation of distillers, bartenders and drinks innovators determined to reposition poitín for the modern consumer. Protected under EU Geographical Indication status and regarded as the predecessor to Irish whiskey, poitín carries centuries of Irish distilling heritage. Today, however, the category is no longer trading on nostalgia alone. Bartenders are increasingly embracing its versatility behind the bar, while consumers are seeking out authentic, provenanceled spirits with genuine cultural credibility. Brands such as Bán Poitín, Mad March Hare, Micil and Frank Carr’s Poitín are helping reshape perceptions of the category, balancing traditional production methods with modern branding, cocktail culture and premium positioning. From smoky Donegal expressions to contemporary serves like the Belfast Coffee, poitín is proving it can sit comfortably alongside tequila, mezcal and gin on today’s back bars. We explore the brands, personalities and momentum driving poitín’s next chapter.
The contemporary poitín
Bán Poitín, is used in many cocktails from Bar 1661
Poitín, Ireland’s native spirit, the predecessor to Irish whiskey, has long been woven into the country’s culture, yet remains largely overlooked by most drinkers. For Bán Poitín, that’s precisely the opportunity. Bán, meaning “white” in Irish – is a modern take on this historic spirit. Made at Echlinville Distillery, it blends malted barley, Irish comber potatoes and Irish grain, bottled at 44.5% ABV. The result is balanced and full-flavoured: traditionally inspired, but modernly made. Rooted yet contemporary, it works equally well for sipping or mixing. The brand’s premise is that poitín no longer needs to choose between heritage and relevance, it can have both. As Irish drinking culture evolves beyond stout and whiskey into cocktails and modern culture, poitín offers bartenders a new, flexible ingredient and consumers an authentic, story-led spirit. Bán’s credentials are proven. It was built at Dublin’s BAR 1661, a two-time winner of Ireland’s Bar of the Year and seven-time Best Cocktail Bar, where poitín makes up over half the menu. The bar has helped reshape the conversation around Ireland’s native spirit, demonstrating that the category genuinely works when it’s led from behind the bar. Its signature serve, the Belfast Coffee – a coldbrewed cross between an Irish coffee and an espresso martini, shows poitín’s versatility. As the brand puts it: traditionally inspired, modernly made. Poitín is next, and Bán is leading it.
Dave Mulligan, owner of BAR 1661, The Sackville Lounge & Bán Poitín talks about why poitín should be celebrated as a native spirit
Dave Mulligan
Tell us about the origins of Bán Poitín?
Bán was born out of the want to create a brand that the category can be proud of, something that can be sipped or mixed. A brand that = represented the now and our next generation of drinkers. I always wanted to be inspired by tradition but modernly made. Our partnership with the Echlinville Distillery means we can grow and malt barely on site but distil using world class equipment, knowledge and most importantly people.
How has poitín production evolved in the last 10 years?
Production remains largely the samebut it is the people making it havechanged. We have some incrediblecategory champions around the island producing some world class spirits and most importantly representing Ireland distilling culture in an exceptionally positive light Poitín is now a common ingredient in cocktails.
What’s the other best way to drink poitín?
I like mine neat or served beside a pint of stout, a Bán & Black we call it. If you are not a straight spirits drinker I would be looking to a long
refreshing mixer like ginger ale, ginger beer or grapefruit soda.
The Belfast Coffee is one of your signature drinks in Bar 1661. Tell us why you think this is such a popular serve with consumers?
It takes advantage of cold brewed and iced coffee culture while closely relating to our national cocktail in the Irish Coffee. Easy to make, easy to identify and easy to understand. It has all the makings of a classic cocktail and is difficult not to love.
Can you tell us about the name 1661 and why this date is significant in Irish drinks history?
That’s the date that started it all. Poitín was part of everyday culture all over the island and sat harmoniously beside whiskey. It was 1661 when the powers that be decided they wanted to control all sprits production and began taxing rural communities.
Is there a market for poitín outside of Ireland?
Of course there is. The sheer value of our exports in food and drink will prove that we have a global reputation for taste and quality. Ireland is guilty of putting poitín into some mythical almost legendary or taboo space when really it’s just another white spirit and a spirit of flavour at that. Most distilling countries have a native white spirit that is celebrated, not demonised.
Poitín, as one of the world’s oldest has the potential to be celebrated all over the world, in high end cocktail bars or a more traditional Irish setting.
Leading the charge
Poitín is finally taking centre stage on cocktail menus
For 300 years, poitín was Ireland’s best-kept secret. In recent years, Mad March Hare has helped bring it into the light. As Ireland’s and the world’s leading poitín brand, it’s built a reputation on uncompromising quality and authenticity. Locally sourced malted and unmalted barley, pure Irish spring water, triple distilled in small copper pot stills. The result? Exceptionally smooth, yet full of character. Ireland’s best bartenders have made poitín their secret weapon, drawn to its versatility, unique flavour and real, unmistakable Irishness. Now it’s finally taking centre stage on cocktail menus and Mad March Hare has been leading that charge.
This June Bank Holiday, find Mad March Hare at Bloom in the Phoenix Park, partnering with Bord Bia on the ‘Discover Poitín’ activation. Summer 2026 brings a new wave of exceptional cocktails: ‘Persistence’ at the ALT Bar, Wren Urban Nest; the ‘Mountjoy Mule’ at Disndat Dublin; The Irish Margarita at Brickyard Dundrum; Belfast Coffees at Mount Juliet; and Paris Texas in Kilkenny. Sip it. Mix it. Shake it. However you take it, Mad March Hare is Ireland’s original spirit – clean, pure and unmistakably real. Recently, Mad March Hare Poitín has become part of the Dalcassian Wines and Spirits portfolio to take this storied spirit to even more people across Ireland. For listing enquiries contact info@dalcassianwines.com
West is best!
For Micil Distillery, poitín isn’t a new category, it’s their family tradition. They’ve been distilling on the shores of Galway Bay for over 170 years, making them Ireland’s longest unbroken family distilling tradition, with six generations of poitín craft knowledge behind every bottle they produce today. Everything they make is produced in the poitín-making tradition on a small copper pot still in their Galway distillery. They distil slowly, by hand, with cuts guided by senses alone.
This small still approach gives their spirits more texture, character and flavour, and it’s a huge part of why Micil poitín is resonating so strongly in the modern on-trade. The classic Micil Irish Poitín sits naturally in the same cocktail space as tequila and works brilliantly in Margaritas, offering bartenders an easy way to bring a distinctly Irish twist to familiar serves. Meanwhile, Micil Heritage Poitín takes things in a smokier direction. Softly peated using turf from our family land in Connemara, it carries a delicate smoke that works beautifully in modern smoky cocktails.
One of their favourites is a Heritage Poitín Paloma, where bright citrus balances perfectly with the soft Connemara turf smoke. For consumers newer to the category, the Connemara Cream Liqueur offers an accessible introduction. Based on an old family recipe, it combines poitín, cream and honey to create a real crowd-pleaser and has recently secured listings in both Tesco and M&S. The full Micil poitín range can be found online on www.micildistillery.com“
Refeshingly unpolished
Frank Carr was a legendary Donegal poitín maker and the grandfather of James Doherty, founder of The Ardara Distillery
Frank Carr’s Poitín arrives at a moment when the premium spirits category is rediscovering authenticity, provenance and disruptive heritage. In a market crowded with polished backstories and over-engineered liquids, this Donegal-made poitín offers something increasingly rare: genuine cultural credibility. The spirit takes its name from Frank Carr himself – a legendary Donegal poitín maker and the grandfather of James Doherty, founder of The Ardara Distillery. Carr’s handcrafted spirit travelled quietly across the hills, streams and hedgerows of northwest Ireland through a network of handshakes, trust and local pride. Known for his uncompromising methods and smoky style, he became part of the folklore surrounding Donegal’s illicit distilling tradition, where making poitín was as much about identity and community as it was about the liquid itself. Rooted in those rebellious traditions, Frank Carr’s Poitín leans unapologetically into the DNA that defined the category long before legalisation modernised it.
The brand’s story is not manufactured nostalgia; it reflects a county that once fiercely resisted government attempts to suppress distilling culture. Today, that spirit of independence gives the category fresh relevance for adventurous consumers seeking alternatives to conventional spirits. What makes the liquid especially compelling for the on-trade is its flavour profile. At 47.8% ABV, Frank Carr’s Poitín delivers boldness without sacrificing drinkability.
Smoked malt, sweet molasses and oats combine to create a layered spirit balancing earthy smoke with citrus brightness, creamy texture and subtle coffee notes. Unfiltered by design, it retains a rich smoky grain character that instantly stands out on the back bar and in contemporary cocktail serves. For operators, the opportunity is significant. As bartenders increasingly seek distinctive heritage spirits with strong storytelling potential, Frank Carr’s Poitín offers both authenticity and versatility, giving mixologists a genuinely different ingredient capable of elevating signature serves and premium cocktail menus. Frank Carr’s Poitín is not simply reviving an old Irish spirit. It is helping redefine modern Irish drinking culture: bold, smoky, proudly regional and refreshingly unpolished.
Tipperary Boutique Distillery ‘The Big Field’ Poitín
Tipperary Boutique Distillery’s The Big Field Poitín is a true single source spirit, produced using barley grown on the family’s Ballindoney Farm in Co. Tipperary. Made using a 50/50 mix of malted and unmalted Olympus spring barley, The Big Field Poitín takes its name from “The Big Field” on Ballindoney Farm, where the barley was grown. Tasting notes from the team at Tipperary Boutique Distillery describe a grassy nose with savoury notes. On the palate, the spirit opens with surprising sweetness, showing barley sugar and black pepper along the tongue, before a short finish with lingering sweetness. The Big Field Poitín reflects the distillery’s field-to-bottle approach and focus on provenance-led spirits production, using homegrown barley from the family farm in Tipperary’s Golden Vale. For further information on the Big Field Poitín and the full product range Tipperary Boutique Distillery, visit www.tipperarydistillery.ie
