Poitín, Poteen, Mountain Dew, Mountain Tea, are just some of the names given to this traditional Irish distilled drink with a history dating back to the 6th century. Made from barley, potatoes, or other grains, it is typically unaged, clear, and potent, often exceeding 90% alcohol by volume.
Originally produced illicitly, it has a storied reputation as Ireland's moonshine known for its strong, fiery character, Poitín embodies a significant part of Irish cultural heritage and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as an artisanal spirit.
Modern poitín is legally distilled and bottled at lower strengths, generally around 40-60% alcohol by volume.
Ingredients for making Poteen
Traditionally, to make Poitín simple ingredients readily available in Ireland would have been used.
The main ingredients typically include:
- Base Material:
- Barley: Malted or unmalted barley is a common base for poitín.
- Potatoes: Another traditional base, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries when potatoes were abundant in Ireland.
- Sugar Beets: Sometimes used in modern versions for fermentation.
- Water: Essential for the fermentation process and to adjust the alcohol content post-distillation.
- Yeast: Required to ferment the sugars in the base material, converting them into alcohol.
Optional Poitín Ingredients
- Other Grains: Sometimes other grains like wheat or oats are added.
- Sugar: Occasionally added to boost the fermentation process, though traditional recipes typically rely solely on the natural sugars present in the base materials.
How to Make Poitín
- Mashing: The base material (barley, potatoes, etc.) is mashed to release fermentable sugars.
- Fermentation: Yeast is added to the mash to convert sugars into alcohol, producing a wash.
- Distillation: The wash is distilled to separate the alcohol, usually through a pot still.
- Dilution: The distilled spirit is diluted with water to achieve the desired alcohol content.
- Sprinkle the yeast granules into a cup of boiled tepid water, cover with Clingfilm, and leave to stand for about half an hour. Grate the potatoes into a fermentation bin then stir in the sugar and wheat.
- Bring the water to the boil, pour over the ingredients, and stir well until all the sugar has dissolved. Cover and leave to cool.
- When cool, add the activated yeast, cover loosely and keep in a cool place for 3 weeks, stirring at regular intervals. Strain the liquid into a demi-john topping up to 1 gallon with cold boiled water, if required. Fit an airlock and leave to ferment.
- When fermentation has ceased, siphon the wine into a clean demi-john and add 1 crushed Campden tablet. Bung tight and store for at least 6 months.
- Finally, siphon into sterilized bottles, seal tightly and then, don’t forget to check the potency of the brew before drinking!
Is Irish Poitín illegal?
Without a license, yes, Poitín is very much illegal to make. This is Ireland's own moonshine and was distilled all over the country. In the Urris hill of Inishowen, County Dongeal, the area was used to distil the beverage due to the remote location of the hills.
With many small piers along the coast of Donegal, vast amounts of grains were imported from Scotland allow the production of Poitín to flourish. The drink was then shipped to other cities such as Derry, Belfast, Dublin, and even to Scotland.
The British authorities, who ruled Ireland at the time, sought to clamp down on this activity, which deprived them of tax revenue and was seen as a form of resistance. The local people in the area took pride in this resistance and declaring the area, The Poitín Republic of Urris.
There were numerous skirmishes between the locals and the authorities. Excise officers often faced fierce resistance when they attempted to seize distillation equipment or arrest those involved in poteen production.
The people of Urris showed a high level of solidarity, protecting each other from legal repercussions and ensuring the continuation of their traditional practices.
Poitín is now legally produced in Ireland under regulated conditions, and it has gained a status as an artisanal spirit. Modern distilleries celebrate its rich history and traditional methods.
Using Poitín for medical purposes
Poitín is well known for its strength and its not uncommon for people to treat their arthritis using it. The trick was to rub Poitín around the areas affected by arthritis such as the knees or hands which would relieve pain. This is common practice and many of the older generations today would still rub in Poitín to help with the relief of arthritis.
