The previously delayed public consultation on the Irish whiskey technical file will now open on Friday 26 June at 9am, the Department of Agriculture has said.
Stakeholders will be able to review the product specification of Irish whiskey and supporting documentation and submit comments, observations or objections where appropriate.
Irish whiskey is recognised as a geographical indication (GI), meaning that it possesses a specific quality or reputation attributable to a particular geographical area, where at least one stage of production, processing or preparation takes place in that area.
Irish grain
A major issue farmers have with Irish whiskey production is that Irish grain is not required to produce Irish whiskey.
Many whiskey producers do use Irish grain. However, some do not and some use a mixture of Irish, imported and some blend whiskey produced from maize and barley.
"This consultation provides an important opportunity for producers, businesses, consumers and other interested parties to contribute their views on the technical file,” Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon commented.
“Geographical indications help protect regional food heritage, support local economies and provide consumers with confidence regarding product authenticity."
The consultation will be open for 10 weeks from 26 June to 4 September and submissions should be sent via email with reference 'Public consultation Irish whiskey' to spiritdrinksconsultation@agriculture.gov.ie.
SHARING OPTIONS