Poitín

‘What the potcheen is poitín?’ we hear you say. Poitín (from the Irish word pota meaning ‘a small pot’ and pronounced pocheen) is an ancient Irish spirit that can be traced back to the 6th century and considered by some to be the forerunner of whisky. Traditionally made with potatoes, cereals, grain, whey, sugarbeet and molasses.

At Western Tiers Distillery we make it from the finest Tasmanian grown barley, harvested from the plains below the Tiers, and give it a 21st century twist. The medieval Church had a low opinion of the spirit, so it was generally produced in remote areas, away from the interference of the law. Stills were often set up on boundaries so the issue of ownership could be disputed.

Demonised by the authorities and long driven underground, poitín is now making a significant comeback and Western Tiers Distillery is one of the few producers down-under of this rebellious spirit.