Powers Irish Whiskey: A Love Story

As someone who grew up in a “Powers house” - that is, a house
that stocked a bottle of Powers “just in case” (in case of what
was never made clear) I have come to understand the enduring love
that people have not just for Powers whiskey, but for the Powers
brand.


 


It is a storied brand, a beloved brand, a part of Irish history
and an integral part of Irish whiskey past, present and hopefully
future.


 


This enduring love for Powers started with the Powers family, the
decisions they made, the way they treated their employees and the
large imprint they left on their communities and country.


 


It may be more than 220 years since James Power first distilled
his eponymous whiskey in John’s Lane in Dublin, and though his
whiskey and the entire industry saw their fair share of ups and
downs since then, demand for Powers is growing globally and I
wager that the reason for this growth is bigger than the whiskey
alone.


 


In this episode of Stories & Sips I share some of the stories
I learned from my day with Carol Quinn, Irish Distillers
Archivist at the Midleton Distillery where we pored over Powers
memorabilia and whiskeys dating back more than 100 years to
understand why we are still fascinated and excited by a brand and
a whiskey that could have been left in the annals of history, yet
today is going from strength to strength.


 


Sláinte.