Poitín

Poitín

Bottles of legally produced poitín
Type	Distilled beverage
Country of origin	Ireland
Alcohol by volume	40%–60% (legally made) 85%-98% (illegally made)
Colour	Colourless

Poitín (Irish pronunciation: [ˈpˠotʲiːn]), anglicized as potcheen or poteen (/ˈpʊtʃiːn/ PUUT-cheen), is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40%–90% ABV). Poitín was traditionally distilled in a small pot still and the term is a diminutive of the Irish word pota, meaning "pot". The Irish word for a hangover is póit. In accordance to the Irish Poitín technical file it can only be made from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses and potatoes.

To authorise the distillation of spirits a requirement was introduced at the parliament at Drogheda in 1556 which necessitated a licence under the Great Seal of Ireland.

Today in Ireland there are a number of commercially produced spirits labelled as poitín, poteen or potcheen. In 2008, Irish poitín was accorded (GI) Geographical Indicative Status by the EU Council and Parliament.

In 2015 in consultation with producers and stakeholders the Irish Government adopted the Geographical Indication technical file for poitín, outlining the production methods that must be used in order for a spirit to be called Irish Poitín. Topics covered included allowable base materials, distillation method, use of flavourings/infusions and limited storage in casks.