IRISH WHISKY. Dublin Whisky, Genuine and Spurious: an account of the Frauds Practised upon Consumers.

London: Sutton, Sharpe & Co., 18 Austin Friars, E.C., February, 1877. Octavo. pp. 24, [4 (adverts)]. Title within decorative typographical border. Disbound, as issued. In fine condition. Extremely rare.
A rare and forceful contemporary defence of genuine Dublin pot still whiskey, issued by the leading distillers of the period, including John Jameson, William Jameson, John Power, and George Roe.
The text addresses the growing crisis within the whiskey trade in the later nineteenth century, particularly the widespread adulteration and substitution of inferior “silent spirit” for true pot still whiskey. Drawing upon parliamentary debate, commercial practice, and scientific discussion, it exposes how neutral or rectified spirits - often imported and chemically manipulated - were blended, diluted, and sold as “Irish whiskey,” misleading consumers and undermining the reputation of established distillers.
Particular emphasis is placed on the contrast between genuine pot still production, based on malted and unmalted barley, careful distillation, and prolonged maturation in wood - and the industrial manufacture of flavourless spirit designed for profit rather than quality. The work stands as a significant primary document in the history of Irish whiskey, capturing a moment of acute tension between tradition and industrialisation.
The pamphlet further includes a contemporary satirical poem, “Whiskey v. Silent Spirit,” reprinted from Punch (12 February 1876), reflecting how widely the issue of adulteration had entered public discourse. The final verse reads:
“O Firms of both the Jamesons!
O Firms of Power & Roe,
Don’t let Hibernia claim as sons
The scamps who treat her so.
Home-Rulers effervescent
Poor Erin may endure,
But she’ll ne’er be convalescent,
Till her potheen is pure.”
A rare fusion of trade protest, scientific argument, and popular satire.
Signed in print by the principal Dublin distillers; Jameson, Power, and Roe, the present work represents a direct and unusually candid intervention by the leading firms of the period in defence of pot still whiskey.
An early and more immediate precursor to Truths About Whiskey (see following item), representing the first phase of the Dublin distillers’ campaign against adulteration and “silent spirit.”