Though whiskey contains only a few key ingredients, several important steps are involved in making it. From malting to maturation, you might be fascinated to know exactly how much goes into manufacturing the whiskeys at your favorite Irish pub. Below, you’ll find a complete guide on how the professionals make them.

5 Basic Steps of Whiskey Making

1. Malt

Malting is the process by which starch converts to sugar and becomes alcohol. Via a combination of warm water soaking and temperature control, distillers germinate the barley before drying it with peat in a kiln and grinding it down.

2. Mash

Next, distillers add the malt to pure, warm water to extract its sugars. This malt and water concoction is known as mash and is stirred in large vessels until it becomes wort.

3. Ferment

After cooling, the wort goes into washbacks, which are large tanks made out of wood or stainless steel. Distillers add yeast to the wort to start fermentation, during which sugar becomes alcohol. The resulting substance is called wash.

4. Distill

Here’s where the process starts to differ, depending on whether you’re making Scotch or Irish whiskey. As a general rule, the Scots distill the wash twice, while the Irish usually distill it three times. Each time, more impurities are removed, and the ABV increases. 

5. Mature

After distillation, the spirit goes into wooden casks and barrels for aging. During this time, the substance takes on wooden notes that give it a distinctive flavor. The spirit must usually age for several years before being served in bars and Irish pubs. 

Now that you know the fascinating process of whiskey making, you’ll likely enjoy your favorite spirits even more the next time you head down to O'Brien's Irish Pub & Grill. This Irish pub is a Plant City, FL institution, known for its craft beers, burgers, wings, live music, and of course, whiskey selection. Call them at (813) 764-8818 to ask about daily specials. Visit this Irish pub online to view the beer list, restaurant menu, and calendar of events.