Distillation

Bushmills distills its malt whiskey three times, in traditional copper pot stills. Their shape has remained practically unchanged for three centuries and even serves as the brand's logo. The third distillation run makes the raw spirit finer and lighter than a twice-distilled whisky. This does, however, cost more time and more energy per liter of finished whiskey. Tall, slender still necks favor a lighter, purer character in the process.

Each still has its own role: the first roughly separates alcohol from the beer, the second concentrates it further. The third still makes the real decision in the end. The distiller cuts out the heart, the portion of the run that tastes neither too raw nor too heavy. This exact cut determines the style and quality of the finished whiskey.

When Echlinville receives Northern Ireland's first new distilling license in over 125 years in 2013, it's a historic moment. The first drops flow from the new copper stills. On August 5th of that same year, the first cask is filled there, with raw spirit made from the distillery's own grain, grown on their own fields. The grain for this comes from the distillery's own fields.

At Hinch in Ballynahinch, the first master distiller brings his craft directly from Bushmills. That's where he learned it, before going on to work in Scotland. So knowledge of copper, cuts, and patience travels back and forth between the old and new houses of the region. Nothing is lost in the process. Both houses show that old craftsmanship and new distilling licenses can go hand in hand.