Straight whiskey prior to its bottling. American straight whiskey must be aged in charred new oak barrels and must be put into the barrels for aging at a concentration not exceeding 62.5% abv. When bottled, only water to reduce proof may be added. This is the definition established for production of American whiskey for consumption within the United States as per the U.S federal "Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits". (The regulations do not necessarily apply to American whiskey made for export.) Alternatively, straight can also refer to a way of requesting and/or serving a drink of whiskey—pouring the spirit without any
Irish whiskey exceptions to these rules in both countries; an example is Connemara peated Irish malt (double distilled) whiskey from the Cooley Distillery in Riverstown, Cooley, County Louth. Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a long period of decline from the late 19th century onwards greatly damaged the industry. So much so that although Ireland boasted over 30 distilleries in the 1890s, a century later, this number had fallen to just three. Irish whiskey has seen a resurgence in popularity since the late twentieth century, and has been the fastest growing spirit in the world every