So best fest buddy Tom and I took the first of the Irish whiskey classes last weekend at the Irish American Heritage Center – after lunch at a Polish place and before heading out for a pasta dinner.
That’s how we roll – and we roll because we’re big guys and it’s tough to walk anymore.
Anyway, there are whiskey class sessions set for Saturday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 25 at the IAHC, too. Each costs $30, starts at 4 p.m., features samples along with your learning and finishes up with a full serving of Irish whiskey in the Center’s 5th Province Bar at 6 p.m.
If you do go – and we recommend you do – you’ll get to try five different labels. You’ll also get a copy of Whisky Advocate magazine, and might even get some chocolate.
If instructor Marty Duffy’s niece Jamie is there, too, there could be other whiskey-related surprises.
I’m not gonna give away the curriculum, but below are some of the questions that should be on the test, if there is one. And there wasn’t. But you should know this stuff by the time you head back home.
Here’s my 10-question Irish whiskey quiz:
How did bourbon get its name?
What role does bourbon play in making Irish whiskey?
What makes Irish whiskey brown?
Why is Midleton so important to the budding Irish whiskey industry?
Who owns what labels?
What’s the deal with putting a drop of water in your Irish whiskey?
What’s the best way to enjoy a taste of whiskey?
What are some of the historic ups and downs in the history of Irish whiskey?
How long does it take to a new distillery to age its initial batch of Irish whiskey?
Why are you probably paying too much for vodka?
The Irish American Heritage Center is at 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago.
Tickets will not be sold at the door and are available online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-irish-whiskey-class-tickets-30106934652
The Facebook pages for each event –
Feb. 4 – https://www.facebook.com/events/1309930182361645/
Feb. 25 – https://www.facebook.com/events/1196435770436013/
I like the idea you are giving classes on Whiskey Heritage of Ireland.
My questions to you what finishes makes a good Irish whiskey and why are those people never mentioned in the making of Irish whiskey.
Another question if you did not have those people making the finishing touch you would have Hillbilly moonshine who are those people I am referring to