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
George Washington's Rye Whiskey Senator Adam Ebbin (D-30th) designating George Washington’s Rye Whiskey as the official state spirit of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 60 percent rye, 35 percent corn and five percent malted barley. The staff uses Washington’s original mash bill and 18th-century methods. The grain is processed in Washington’s water-powered gristmill, fermented in wooden mash tubs and distilled in copper pot stills heated by wood fires. In Washington’s time whiskey was not aged but this recipe calls for it to be distilled twice. George Washington's Rye Whiskey George Washington’s Rye Whiskey is distilled at George Washington’s reconstructed distillery at Mount Vernon from a