Irish whiskey GI under review
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has launched a public consultation to review the rules that govern Irish whiskey.
Last Friday (26 June), the government opened a consultation inviting interested parties to submit observations or objections regarding the Irish whiskey technical file.
Open for 10 weeks, the public consultation invites stakeholders to share a summary of no more than 300 words, which will be considered as part of the department’s evaluation of the product specification for Irish whiskey.
Martin Heydon, minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, said: “This consultation provides an important opportunity for producers, businesses, consumers, and other interested parties to contribute their views on the technical file.
“Geographical indications (GIs) help protect regional food heritage, support local economies and provide consumers with confidence regarding product authenticity.”
The minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir, called Irish whiskey “a globally renowned product, rooted in tradition and vital to our agri-food and drinks sector”.
He added the consultation would “ensure that it continues to protect the integrity, quality, and reputation of the geographical indication”.
The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) has submitted its proposed changes ahead of the public consultation.
The IWA is proposing an increase in the ‘other cereals’ allowance from 5% to 30%. Currently, the mash bill for pot still Irish whiskey must contain a minimum of 30% malted barley and a minimum of 30% unmalted barley. Only up to 5% of other cereals may be added.
The IWA believes that the 5% limit, established in 2024, “does not reflect the full diversity of pot still’s heritage”. The organisation pointed to historic distilling records that showed pot still Irish whiskey traditionally used mash bills frequently featuring up to 30% adjunct grains.
The current specification also allows for ‘other cereals’ without specifically naming or restricting the types of grain used. The IWA would like to see this limited to rye, wheat and oats to “preserve traditions” from the 19th and 20th centuries.
It is also calling for an increase on the malted barley limit for grain Irish whiskey from 30% to 40%, which would allow distilleries to implement more energy-efficient processes, such as the use of undried malt.
The IWA also wants to remove the emphasis on oak, allowing any wooden cask, which it describes as a “key differentiator” between Irish whiskey and other whiskies such as Scotch.
Furthermore, the association is calling for the removal of the words ‘currently non-peated’ from the pot still definition, as it has historically seen “clear evidence of peated malt being utilised in pot still distillation”. It says there are now peated pot still whiskeys on the market, and removing the term would eliminate any ambiguity.
The public consultation closes at 4pm on 4 September 2026.
Exports of Irish whiskey declined by 5% in value last year after the US hindered the category’s performance.
The EU-India free trade agreement could open up “significant opportunities” for the category, Heydon said in January.
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