Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343292
24 • SPRING/SUMMER 2014 o put it simply, Irish whiskey is unequivo- cally, and undeniably, hot. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), the category is up more than 460 percent since 2002. In 2013, 2.5 million cases were sold, up 17.5 percent from 2012. And the number of distilleries in Ireland is poised to double in the next ten years. "The growth of Irish whiskey is part of a macro trend away from 'bling,' and towards unpretentious, working class values," explains Paul Di Vito, Pernod Ricard's Vice President of Marketing for Irish and North American Whis- keys. Even before the current boom, he says, Irish whiskey has had firm roots in the United States, as Irish immigration has always been part of the fabric of America. Pernod Ricard acquired Irish Distillers in 1988, and has seen the category surge over the years. The com- pany's current Irish whiskey portfolio includes products from Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, Midleton, Green Spot and PADDY. Legally defined, Irish whiskey is a spirit distilled from cereal grains and aged three years in wooden casks, all on Irish soil. Its very style makes the category accessible and easy to drink. "Irish whiskey is triple-dis- tilled, which makes it smooth and approach- able," Di Vito notes. "There is no smokiness, Ongoing Commitment Irish Whiskey is Helping Drive the Category to Lot No. 40 was a plot of land occupied by one of the ancestors of Michael Booth, the now retired Master Blender who created this whisky. Proud of his distilling heritage, Booth paid hom- age to his ancestry by naming the rye-heavy whisky for the spot where his family set up their first Canadian still. Lot 40 is aged in virgin white oak barrels to balance the robust flavor of 100% rye. Deep amber in color, mature oak with faint hints of raisins, comple- mented with a touch of vanilla and toffee, full and complex in body, with bold rich oak with hints of vanilla and toffee, a sweet and refreshing finish. T Pernod Ric