Cast your mind back to 1608. James I was on the English throne – the first Stuart monarch – the Moores were living at Barmeath and the Bellews at Lisrenny.
It was in 1608 that The Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland was granted a license by James I to distill whiskey, making it probably the oldest continuously working distillery in the world. But you probably knew that. You may not know that the Moe distillery in Estonia is perhaps the second oldest vodka distillery, founded in 1688. It distills vodka using Sangaste rye, grown in Estonia and one of the oldest cultivars in the world. I had to look up ‘cultivar’ and I’m still not quite sure what it means. Now for something different.
Vana Tallinn is a rum based liquor with herbs and spices blended in Estonia where it was invented in 1960. If you want to know what it tastes like try a swig of Benelyn. Both are excellent remedies for colds and coughs. For a normal dry cough take 40% Vana Tallinn, for more severe symptoms move up to 50%. Riga also produces a speciality liquor – Riga Black Balsam. It tastes a bit like Fernet Branca. Lithuania produces vodka. When I visited Tallinn I never saw anybody the worse for drink. Maybe the Balts turn to alcohol for sustenance in the dark winter months.
That video.So classy!!!
I remember the song.The video puts a whole new spin on it.That’s entertainment all right.
The good ol’ days…and Benelyn.I enjoyed learning about the history of alcoholic beverages very much.Thank you.