National symbols of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with Jameson Irish Whiskey and Tullamore Dew the main whiskey brands. Poitín, made from potatoes and with an alcohol content of up to 90% ABV, is the traditional Irish moonshine, brewed illegally since 1661, when a duty was placed on whiskey and other spirits were made illegal. According to one guidebook, ""If you see a product labelled "poteen" in an airport or a bar, it's simply a white duty-paid Irish schnapps. By definition, poteen is illegal and can't be sold."" Stout, a dark beer made using roasted oats or barley, is the national beer, with Guinness heavily promoted as a
Irish coffee Ireland published Irish Standard I.S. 417: Irish Coffee. Although whiskey, coffee and cream are the basic ingredients in all Irish coffee, there are variations in preparation: the choice of coffee and the methods used for brewing it differ significantly. The use of espresso machines or fully automatic coffee brewers is now typical: the coffee is either a caffè americano (espresso diluted with hot water) or some kind of filter coffee, often made using a coffee capsule. The cream used in some bars to make what is sold as "Irish coffee" is sometimes sprayed from a can. Some bartenders gently shake