Ireland/Ireland, like Scotland, is one of the original countries of whisky. It’s unclear who was first—what is certain is that Ireland had the first licensed distillery in 1608, and Scotland has the first documented evidence of whisky made from grain. The national saint, St. Patrick, and other monks began missionizing the Celtic region as early as the 5th century, bringing the art of distillation to Scotland and Ireland.

Irish whiskey differs in several ways:

1. In the spelling = Whiskey
2. The malt is not dried over an open fire, making the whiskey milder
3. Unmalted grain is sometimes used
4. It is often triple distilled