So by now you've worked out that were kind of passionate about drink. So why not share some information about just 2 of our drinks - stout and whiskey?

So what's so special about stout?

Beer is a drink that dates back to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. In its earliest forms, it was made from grains, or bread, which were allowed to ferment and liquefy. Hence, its alter-ego "liquid bread". Over time the process evolved, with most Europeans settling on barley and wheat as their grains of choice and flavourings introduced with the addition of "grut", a mixture of herbs that varied from brewer to brewer. Hops came next, adding flavour and acting as a preservative and eventually replaced grut as the primary flavouring agent.

The next evolution in the brewing was the shift from top-fermenting yeast, a successful process when a relatively warm climate, typical of the Ireland and Britain, allowed fermentation to take place at room temperature. In colder climates, such as German areas of continental Europe, bottom-fermenting yeast proved more successful for fermentation. The result was a split between the ales (of which stout is but one type), popular in Ireland and Britain, and lagers, popular in German regions.

Irish brewers came to use roasted barley for their ales and stout and became a national preference. It is an opaque ale, almost black in color and with a creamy head. Ingredients vary with the brewer but generally include dark roasted barley, which contributes a slightly roasted character and hops with a medium-to-high bitterness. Fermentation is a two-step process; started around 17-18ºC and increased to 23-27ºC.
So . . . the next time you hear about raising a pint in the Irish fashion, make sure it's not a lager tinted green but a stout!

Irish Whiskey

It is said that whiskey has been made in Ireland since the Irish monks brought the distillation process back from the Middle East. In Gaelic the drink became known as "Uisce Beatha" which means "water of life." The Normans called it "fuisce" and eventually it evolved into "whiskey."

What needs to come together? Barley, clear waters, and peat for the fires to toast the barley are the key ingredients. They are certainly all found in Ireland!
How does it happen?

Barley is allowed to sprout then dried in a kiln, (In the making of Scotch whisky the barley is malted over an open peat fire.) This difference in the malting process leads to much of the difference in the eventual flavour of the two spirits.

The toasted barley is then "mashed", that is ground into "grist", a coarse flour. Mixed with water, the starches become sugars and the liquid is referred to as "wort".

The wort is mixed with yeast and the sugar begins to ferment. After about two days the liquid is known as "wash".

The whiskey is next triple distilled, meaning that the alcohol is separated from the water and the liquids alcohol content goes from 8.5 percent to 80 percent.

The distilled liquid matures in oak casks, for at least three years under Irish law.
In a process similar to what the Scots call "blending" for their whisky, the Irish "vat", or mix, several whiskeys to achieve the taste they desire. Once mixed, water is added to bring the final whiskey to 40 percent alcohol and the whiskey is bottled and shipped.