Jameson Distillery Bow St. and its Jameson 360 Virtual Tour
Madrid, November 2020 - From discovering the history of whiskey to learning how to prepare an authentic Whiskey Sour from the distillery's artisan ambassador. We are Irish, and we like to tell stories. In this case, ours. Because the truth is that whiskey has many anecdotes and surprises. The walls of our distillery on Bow St. and Midleton hold all these secrets, and for years it has been considered the world's leading distillery in visits.
In Midleton Jameson continues to be produced day after day while Bow St. has become the museum of the house and that is why, as these are difficult times to travel, what better than to bring all its history and its flavor directly through a click.
In 1780, John Jameson opened the doors of the distillery. More than 200 years later, the doors are still open to friends old and new. Jameson 360 is a virtual tour of the Bow Street distillery, where you can discover the history of whiskey and learn how to prepare an authentic Whiskey Sour from the distillery's artisan ambassador. All from the comfort of your own sofa.
Jameson Distillery History
The company was founded by Scotsman John Jameson, related to the Haig family, distillers of Scotch Whiskey. His son was related to the Stein family, one of Scotland's largest distillers and owners of the Bow Street distillery in Dublin. The Haigs were also related to the Steins through a previous marriage. John Jameson acquired the Bow Street distillery in 1780.
The Cork Distillers company joined forces with rivals John Jameson and John Powers to form the Irish Distillers Group in 1966. The new Midleton distillery built by Irish Distillers today produces the majority of the Irish whiskey sold in Ireland. The new facilities are adjacent to the old ones, now converted into a tourist attraction.
The Jameson brand was acquired by the French group Pernod Ricard in 1998, when it bought Irish distilleries.
The production of an Irish whiskey
There is a lot of work involved in producing a blended Irish whiskey that has been enjoyed for over 200 years. But don't worry, we've distilled over 200 years of bravery, craftsmanship, and a collective appreciation of its flavor into a single product. Here's the secret behind our signature smoothness: our process and our people.
It is made by blending intense, unmalted pot still whiskey with the finest grain whiskey, distilled three times for greater smoothness.
Additionally, although all our barley is grown within 100 miles of Midleton, our waters come from the River Dungourney, which flows through our distillery. This is somewhat more accurate, since the word whiskey comes from the Irish “uisce beatha”, which means “water of life”. Although our barley comes from the fields and our waters from the outskirts, corn is a sun-loving crop. Ireland's famous climate is anything but tropical. Therefore we depend on an agricultural company in the south of France that provides us with all our corn without genetic modification.
Although Jameson is Irish through and through, our master cooper Ger Buckley turns to our friends in the United States and Spain to source the casks.
After aging the bourbon and fortified wine, the barrels are seasoned and ready to transmit their personality of toasted wood, vanilla and sweet sherry to our whiskey.
When it's time to blend, master blender Billy Leighton only uses whiskeys grown on our distillery grounds. As a result, we can produce a wide range of different whiskeys without having to rely on any other distilleries. Many famous brands blend whiskey from multiple distilleries, so we're not suggesting that our method is better; It's just the way we like to do it.
Why is it called Irish whiskey?
There is a very strict law that stipulates that a spirit must spend a minimum of three years of maturation on the island of Ireland, to be sufficiently fortunate to be called Irish.
Although the duration allowed by our maturation master Kevin O'Gorman is not the same for each barrel, 2% of our whiskey is lost each year due to evaporation. This is what is called “Angel's Share” and after more than 230 years, we have concluded that it is your round.
What is the difference between an American barrel and a Butt de Jerez barrel?
During the visit to the distillery these and many other questions will be answered. In addition, the experience is completed with a premium whiskey tasting and learning how to mix whiskey and bring the art of cocktails home.
Bow St. Artisan Ambassador Kieran shows you how to make a delicious Jameson Whiskey Sour cocktail to put into your favorite glass.
Whiskey Sour is one of the best-known cocktails in the world of cocktails and a perfect ending to dinners. By mixing Irish whiskey and lemon juice with egg white and pacharán, you get a delicious classic mix.
Ingredients
- 50ml Jameson Black Barrel
- 25 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 15 ml sugar syrup
- 15 ml egg white
- 3 splashes of pacharán
- A cherry or a lemon peel spiral to decorate
Elaboration
Fill a shaker with ice and add: 50 ml of Jameson Black Barrel, 25 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 15 ml of sugar syrup, 15 ml of egg white and three splashes of pacharán. Stir everything together and strain it into a chilled cocktail glass. And to top it off, decorate it with a lemon peel spiral.
You can visit Jameson 360 from here: https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/es-ES/visit-us/virtual-360-experience
Whiskey Jameson available in Licorea