The guys at The Wild Rover in Surry Hills love their whiskey, be it Scotch, American, or Aussie, but they’ve got a special affinity for Irish Whiskey.
That’s why in March over two days The Wild Rover will be hosting the Irish Whiskey Fair, with tickets going on sale next week (click here to go to the Facebook page for details).
“Out of all the [spirit] categories, our regulars tend to be most excited about Irish Whiskey,” says The Wild Rover’s Kim McDiarmid. “We have between 50-60 on the back bar at any one time so so it was fitting to put on a event that was solely focussed on not only the products we enjoy serving but the whiskey our customers love drinking.”
Irish whiskey is having something of a renaissance these days. The spirit used to dominate Scotch whisky, in terms of both reputation and in sheer volume of the stuff produced, but Irish whiskey went from being the pre-eminent whiskey of the world to almost disappearing. In 1900, the Irish whiskey industry was producing 12 million cases a year; by the 1970’s, however, the number of distilleries was down to two and they produced just 500,000-odd cases a year.
But that’s all changed, and there’s loads of good Irish whiskey gear on the market with a taste profile that appeals to the public and bartenders alike. Expect to see the likes of Jameson, Redbreast, Teeling, Bushmills, Tyrconnell, Connemara, Tullamore Dew, Slane, Glendalough, Writers Tears and The Irishman on display at the Fair.
“The Rover team get excited about all whiskey but Irish especially is so versatile,” says McDiarmid. “It’s approachable, can be used in cocktails and there are a lot of new, exciting expressions coming out which is making it more diverse. We also have a great relationship with the ambassadors of the Irish brands who are often frequent the Rover. It makes it easy to support those who show the bar so much support.”
To find out more about the Irish Whiskey Fair, (click here to go to the Facebook page).