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 whiskey authorities as conforming with the Department of Agriculture's 2014 technical file for Irish whiskey. Key requirements include specifications that: There are several regulations governing the labelling of Irish whiskeys. In particular: According to the Alcoholic Beverage Federation of Ireland, as of August 2017 there are 18 whiskey distilleries in operation in Ireland. However, many of these are recently established and have not yet aged their own spirits for sale as whiskey: In addition, there are a number of independently owned brands, such as Clontarf 1014, that purchase and market whiskey sourced from operating distilleries. According to the Alcoholic Beverage Federation