poteen

Very strong alcoholic Irish drink made in private stills from potatoes or barley and yeast. Poteen (pronounced ‘potcheen’) acquires regional distinction according to differences in local water. According to legend it has been distilled in Ireland since the first potato harvest (early 17th century). It was made illegal by the English in 1661, stimulating a vigorous underground trade and turning many Irish people into criminals. Over the centuries doctors have warned of possible alcoholic poisoning and mental illness, although one doctor in 1730 claimed that it held off old age, aided digestion, and ‘delighted the heart’. Commercial brands of poteen were legalized in 1997 but many people still prefer the illicit version.