Thee Most Irish Drink: An Evening with Maura Clare of Smuggling Nun

Tue Mar 17 2026 at 08:00 pm to 09:00 pm UTC-04:00

The National Arts Club | New York

The National Arts Club
Publisher/HostThe National Arts Club
Thee Most Irish Drink: An Evening with Maura Clare of Smuggling Nun
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Maura Clare speaks about the history of the Irish drink, poitin.
About this Event

Irish whiskey and stout are both renowned, but perhaps the most Irish of all the drinks is poitin, a super-strength clear Irish moonshine. Originally brewed in convents and monasteries some 1500 years ago, poitin later moved to Irish farms, where copper pots (poitin means “small pot”) were used to make the illegal liquor. The best poitin was grain-based. It’s now legal, and known as a trendy new mixer for hipster mixologists—and also as a symbol of Irish determination and defiance. The US brand Smuggling Nun was named after the founder’s cousin, Sister Mary, a Franciscan nun who smuggled poitin through customs in a bottle of holy water. Maura Clare, founder/owner of Smuggling Nun, will join us on St. Patrick’s Day for a lecture on the colorful history of poitin. A poitin-based cocktail will be available in the NAC bar.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00

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