Irish whiskey is a type of whiskey made on the island of Ireland, and the word "whiskey" comes from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning water of life. Irish whiskey is typically distilled from unmalted barley, though some may include malted barley. The grain is naturally high in starch, which must be converted into sugar for fermentation. With unmalted barley, wheat, and corn, the grains must be cooked under pressure to break down the starch into sugar. The most sugar can be obtained when barley is malted. The malted barley is dried in closed kilns, so it is only exposed to hot air and not smoke, which gives Irish whiskey a distinct taste. The key requirements for Irish whiskey include specifications that it must be distilled and matured on the island of Ireland from a mash of malted cereals with or without whole grains of other cereals, which has been saccharified by the diastase of malt contained therein, with or without other natural enzymes, and fermented by the action of yeast. Irish whiskey comes in several forms, with the name of the style depending on the type of grain used and the distillation process. The three main types of Irish whiskey are:

• Single Malt Irish Whiskey: Made from 100 percent malted barley, this whiskey is produced by a single distillery in a pot still.
• Single Pot Still Whiskey: A blend of both malted and unmalted barley distilled in a pot still, this whiskey is a style of whiskey that is unique to Ireland.
• Grain Irish Whiskey: A particularly light style made from corn or wheat, grain whiskey is produced in column stills rather than Irelands often preferred pot stills.

Regardless of the type of Irish whiskey, it must be aged for at least three years on the island of Ireland to be called Irish whiskey.