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Irish Whiskey Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart buying guide to Irish whiskey
The popularity of Irish whiskey has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years. If you are interested in trying Irish whiskey or just looking for a new favorite, our buying guide can help. With Instacart, getting a bottle of Irish whiskey couldn't be easier. Add a whiskey to your cart, and our shoppers will pick and deliver your item, often in as little as 2 hours!
About Irish whiskey
Ireland is widely considered the birthplace of whiskey, with production records dating back to 1405. Irish whiskey has a reputation for being incredibly smooth, with light flavors of oak, grain, and fruit. A whiskey can only carry the label "Irish whiskey" if it meets the following legal stipulations:
- The whiskey must be from a malted barley mash. A distiller may also add other grains, but barley must be present.
- It must be distilled to no more than an ABV of 94.8% and bottled at an ABV of 40% or higher.
- The whiskey is aged in wood barrels for a minimum of three years. The barrels may be new or previously used for rum, sherry, or bourbon.
- The whiskey must be produced within the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
- It may not contain additives other than caramel coloring and water.
Irish whiskeys are traditionally triple distilled, although double distilling is becoming increasingly common.
Types of Irish whiskey
Blended Irish whiskey makes up 90% of the Irish whiskey on the market today. Blended Irish whiskeys are usually the most affordable. The most popular blended Irish whiskey is Jameson Irish Whiskey. Jameson uses malted and unmalted barley, corn, and water from Ireland's Dungourney River.
Malt Irish whiskey is made from 100% malted barley. Malt whiskeys are flavored by the wood used in their aging barrels. Knappogue Castle Single Malt whiskey is aged in bourbon barrels for 12 years, picking up bourbon flavors of caramel and spice. Knappogue Castle is a great summer Irish whiskey with flavors of dried fruits, citrus, and grain.
Pot still whiskey, also known as "pure pot still," is crafted from a blend of unmalted and malted barley. This style of whiskey is unique to Ireland. Kilbeggan Single Pot Still whiskey is made by adding oats to the mash, creating a whiskey with oatmeal, apple, and cinnamon flavors.
Grain Irish whiskey is made from 30% or less malted barley and un-malted corn, wheat, or barley and distilled in column stills. Teeling Single Grain is aged between 5-6 years in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from California. This Irish whiskey has butter, cream soda, and black pepper flavors.
Potcheen, also known as "poteen" or "poiten," is the Irish equivalent of moonshine. Potcheen is made from barley, potatoes, and corn. Unlike other Irish whiskies, potcheen is not aged for the required minimum of three years. Potcheen was illegal for three centuries (until1997) and is still illegal in Northern Ireland. Glendalough Poitin Mountain Strength is made from malted barley and sugar beets. This unique mash creates a whiskey with vanilla, berry, and smoke flavors.
How to serve Irish whiskey
Irish whiskey is best served neat or on the rocks. To maximize aromas and flavors, make sure your whiskey is at room temperature, never chilled. If you are new to whiskey, you can decrease the "burn" and enhance flavors by diluting Irish whiskey with a splash of water. Irish whiskey is a key ingredient in many mixed drinks, including:
- Irish coffee: A mixture of coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and whipped cream.
- Whiskey and ginger: A shot of whiskey topped with ginger ale.
- Irish gold: Irish whiskey with peach liquor, orange juice, and ginger ale.
Irish whiskey is the perfect companion to Irish recipes, cheese, steak, salmon, fruit pie, and dark chocolate.
Irish Whiskey Near Me
Buy your favorite Irish Whiskey online with Instacart. Order Irish Whiskey from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about Irish whiskey
When ordering Irish whiskey through Instacart, please take note of the following restrictions:
- You must be of legal drinking age (21) to order alcohol through Instacart.
- Instacart cannot take special requests for alcohol.
- If your selected whiskey is out of stock, your shopper will discuss a replacement with you. If a replacement is unavailable, your shopper will remove the item from your order and refund your money.
- Irish whiskey cannot substitute for a non-alcoholic item.
- When your Irish whiskey is delivered, you must provide ID to your shopper.
- Our shoppers cannot deliver alcohol to a person who is visibly intoxicated.
Instacart accepts U.S. driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military IDs. Instacart also accepts U.S. passports as identification unless your order is from Walmart, Costco, or in the state of California.
Your shopper will scan or manually enter your identification information when they deliver your order. Manual entry of your ID information is not permitted in California or on Costco and Walmart orders.