Poitín translates as "small pot" in Irish and is pronounced as "pot-cheen". The super-strength spirit gets its name from the copper pots where it was traditionally distilled as a homemade Irish moonshine – an illicit category of alcohol associated with bootlegging. Ironically, the spirit was first created in convents and monasteries some 1,500 years ago.
Throughout the 16th and 17th Centuries, almost every sizeable farm had its own personal distillery, and by 1661, poitín became so endemic that it was deemed illegal by the British Crown in an attempt to control its untaxable spread. It wouldn't be re-legalised until 1997, but despite the legislation, people have continued to secretly distil poitín in hidden stills to avoid taxation. The drink is now a symbol of Irish culture and determination, and when celebrating St Patrick's Day, perhaps no other drink better encapsulates Ireland's heritage and identity than this ancient spirit.
