Powers (whiskey) facts for kids
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| Type | Irish whiskey |
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| Manufacturer | Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard) |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Introduced | 1791 |
| Proof (US) | 80-92 |
| Variants | Powers 12 year old reserve, Powers Three Swallow, Powers Signature Release, Powers John's Lane Release |
| Related products | Paddy, Jameson |
Powers is a famous brand of Irish whiskey. For a long time, it was made using a special method called "single pot still" whiskey. The most well-known Powers whiskey, called Powers Gold Label, was the very first Irish whiskey to be sold in bottles.
In recent years, Powers has brought back some of its older, special types of whiskey. For many years, Powers Gold Label was the most popular whiskey sold in Ireland.
Contents
The Story of Powers
The Powers story began in 1791. A man named James Power, who owned an inn in Dublin, Ireland, started a small place to make whiskey. It was located at his pub on Thomas Street.
In its first year, the distillery made about 6,000 gallons of whiskey. At first, the business was called James Power and Son. By 1822, it became John Power & Son and moved to a new spot on John's Lane.
Growing Bigger
After some new laws about making whiskey came out in 1823, the distillery grew very quickly. By 1827, they were making 160,270 gallons of whiskey. In 1833, this number jumped to 300,000 gallons each year.
As the business grew, the Power family became more important. In 1841, John Power, who was the founder's grandson, was given a special title called a Baronet. This was a title that could be passed down in the family.
In 1855, his son, Sir James Power, helped start the building of the O'Connell Monument. In 1859, he became the High Sheriff of Dublin, which was an important local role.
A Modern Distillery
In 1871, the distillery was made much larger and rebuilt in a grand Victorian style. It became one of the most impressive buildings in Dublin. After this expansion, the distillery could make 700,000 gallons of whiskey a year.
By the 1880s, they were making about 900,000 gallons each year. The distillery covered more than six acres in central Dublin. About 300 people worked there.
During this time, the whiskey makers in Dublin were some of the biggest in the world. The Power family business, along with John Jameson, William Jameson, and George Roe, were known as the "Big Four." They brought in many new ideas.
In 1886, John Power & Son started bottling their own whiskey. Before this, it was common for distilleries to sell their whiskey in large barrels to merchants. These merchants would then bottle it themselves. Powers was the first Dublin distillery to bottle its own whiskey. They were also one of the first in the world to do this. Each bottle had a gold label, which is how the whiskey got its name: Powers Gold Label.
A Visitor's View
When a British historian named Alfred Barnard visited John's Lane in the late 1880s, he was very impressed. He noticed how clean and elegant the buildings were. He said the distillery was "as complete a work as it is possible to find anywhere."
At that time, the distillery had five large stills, which are big pots used to make whiskey. Two of these stills could hold 25,000 gallons, making them some of the biggest ever built. Barnard also praised Powers whiskey, saying it was "delicious" and "perfect in flavour."
The last family member to be on the company's board was Sir Thomas Talbot Power. He passed away in 1930. Even after this, the family still owned the company until 1966. Some of his sisters' descendants continued to work there for many years.
Changes and New Beginnings
In 1961, a new type of still, called a Coffey still, was put into the John's Lane Distillery. This allowed them to make other drinks like vodka and gin. They also started testing grain whiskey for use in blended whiskeys.
This was a big change for Powers. For many years, the big Dublin distilleries did not want to use Coffey stills. They even questioned if the grain whiskey made by these stills could truly be called whiskey. However, many Irish distilleries had closed earlier because they didn't adapt to new tastes. People started to prefer blended whiskey. Powers helped convince the remaining Irish distilleries to try making blended whiskey.
In 1966, the Irish whiskey industry was still facing challenges. There had been a ban on alcohol in the United States, and competition from Scotch whiskey was strong. John Power & Son decided to team up with the other remaining whiskey makers in Ireland. These were the Cork Distilleries Company and their Dublin rivals, John Jameson & Son. Together, they formed a new company called Irish Distillers.
Soon after, Irish Distillers made a big decision. They closed all their old distilleries and built a brand new one in Midleton, County Cork. This new distillery opened in 1975. A year later, in 1976, production stopped at the old John's Lane Distillery. All the whiskey making, including Powers Gold Label, moved to the new Midleton facility. Many Irish whiskeys, including Powers Gold Label, were changed from single pot still whiskeys to blends.
In 1989, Irish Distillers became part of a larger company called Pernod-Ricard.
After the John's Lane distillery closed, many of its buildings were taken down. However, some parts of the old distillery were saved. They are now part of the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. These buildings are protected because they are important historical structures. Also, three of the distillery's large pot stills were saved. You can see them today in the college's Red Square.
