Poitín (pronounced po-cheen), a form of Irish moonshine, has been distilled in Ireland for generations and is often made from malted barley or potatoes. Poitín distillation was prohibited in Ireland by the British Crown in 1661, and it remained illegal in Northern Ireland until 1997. Back then, ambitious Irishmen would make poitín in isolated rural communities, far from the prying eyes of the law. Poitín became a symbol of Irish pride and freedom, and recipes were passed down through the centuries.

Salvatore Cimino, a third-generation distiller and barber by trade, has been producing 1512 Spirits Signature Poitín in Sonoma County, California, since he obtained a recipe from a close friend. The only poitín produced in the United States and one of the last few produced worldwide, 1512 Spirits Signature Poitín is prepared from a mash of 95% potatoes and 5% malted barley.

Cimino starts by manually preparing fresh Yukon Gold potatoes grown in California and frying them over a direct flame. Irish bootleggers would cook the barley or potatoes over a turf flame before bottled gas was invented. In order to escape the wrath of the crown, the bootleggers would wait for windy days to distill poitín because the smoke from the turf flame revealed their location.

Cimino, who runs the entire 750-square-foot distillery himself, cooks the potatoes first, then adds hand-milled malted barley and cooks the mash, allowing it to ferment for three to four days. Following fermentation, Cimino brings poitín to 104 proof by distilling it twice in a handcrafted 125-gallon copper-pot still (pota is Gaelic for “pot”).

Poitín is strong and potent; the smell of the malted barley and potatoes permeates the space. In contrast to other spirits, poitín is pure and unrefined. In contrast to potato vodkas, which lose valuable oils during fermentation and distillation, 1512 Spirits Signature Poitín retains its flavors and fragrances. There is a strong, spicy component that contributes to a distinctive flavor profile, along with hints of oats and green spices. Despite its unexpectedly sweet and airy finish, poitín is more likely to wake you up than put you to sleep.

Each batch of 1512 Spirits Signature Poitín only yields roughly 30 gallons of final product, indicating that it requires a lot of work and yields little. Only a small number of bottles from the most recent batch made by Master Distiller Salvatore Cimino have been reserved for Caskers members. Every bottle is wax-sealed and numbered by hand.

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Notes on Tasting

Strong potato and starch aroma with a faint floral note that reminds me of green spices and cucumber. Strong, unprocessed, and pure flavor. Your lips is delicately coated with the starchy flavors of oatmeal and potatoes. Mid-palate, a lighter flavor with chewy texture and allspice overtones takes over. The finish is pleasant and airy.

About 1512 Spirits

During the day, Salvatore (“Sal”) Cimino operates a barbershop in San Francisco’s Nob Hill area at 1512 Pine Street. In addition to being a third-generation barber, Cimino’s father taught him how to distill. He kept a makeshift wine cellar in the family’s house and showed Sal how to turn the extra grapes into grappa. Sal’s distilling business was “clandestine” for many years, sharing the results only with friends and family. Nevertheless, word soon got out about his innate talent for distilling, and he opened a full-time business in Sonoma County, effectively becoming the only barber in the world by day and a master distiller at night.

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