We have had Irish wine makers in Bordeaux since the mid to late 1700’s. Many people fled Ireland due to a large amount of turmoil and land confiscation after William of Orange defeated James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Those who fled to Bordeaux made their mark in the wine making business and have ties to several of the first growth Châteaux in the Bordeaux region. Not far from Bordeaux, we also had Richard Hennessy, hailing from Co.Cork, who created the world famous Cognac brand, Hennessy. While the Irish imported a lot of Bordeaux wines in those times, those back home were also creating and perfecting their own staple, that being Whiskey. The first written record of Irish Whiskey dates back to 1405 but it wasn’t until Old Bushmills Distillery opened in Northern Ireland in 1608 that it became an industry. It is said that, at one point in history, Irish whiskey was the most widely drank spirit in the world.